Tusculum College is celebrating the return of students to campus!

About 175 students, including members of the Pioneers football team, returned to campus on Tuesday, August 5th to move into their dorm rooms. Students taking part in the Bridge Program also moved into their rooms on August 5th. The College welcomed nearly 125 students to campus on Friday, August 8.

Move-In at Tusculum is a campus-wide event which includes staff members from nearly every department. To simplify the Move-In process, Tusculum students and their parents check in at the Pioneer Arena where representatives from each department greet them. During the Summer, the College put effort into streamlining the Move-In process so that students may receive their room keys as quickly as possible and begin moving into their dorm rooms.

View more pictures from the first two Move-In days.

New flowers and plants are brightening the landscape surrounding the buildings on the Tusculum College campus. The flowers are part of an on-going beautification project for the historic campus.

Flowers have already been planted around McCormick Hall (seen in the picture above), the Thomas J. Garland Library, Virginia Hall and the Scott M. Niswonger Commons. The grounds around Katherine Hall, the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building,the COGs and other buildings on campus will soon receive flowers, according to Mark Stokes, Director of Facilities.

(Note: The story below is based heavily on coverage published in The Greeneville Sun regarding the July 29 death of alumnus, former Tusculum College trustee, and generous College friend Thomas Gray Hull ’50. The College thanks the Sun for use of the material.)

Hundreds of family members, friends, colleagues, former employees, and fellow church members came together Friday afternoon, Aug. 1, to celebrate the life of the late Thomas Gray Hull, and reflect on his impact on their own lives.

Hull, a retired U.S. district judge who served on the federal bench at Greeneville from 1983-2006, died Tuesday morning, July 29, at 82 after several months of sharply declining health. His life was celebrated Friday, Aug. 1, at Asbury United Methodist Church, of which he was an active lifelong member. Among those present at the service was U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a longtime friend.

Before being named to the federal bench, Hull had served as legal counsel to then-Gov. Alexander from 1979-81.
Hull’s son, Tusculum College Trustee Brandon Hull, his daughter, Leslie Hull, and retired U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins of Rogersville, a close friend for many years, spoke at what was termed in the bulletin “A Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration.”

Also offering remarks were the Rev. Jeannie Higgins, minister of discipleship of Asbury UM Church and a cousin of Judge Hull, and the Rev. David Woody, Asbury UM senior pastor.

The late federal judge was remembered warmly and repeatedly as a Christian of strong, persevering faith in God, a man with a deep and loving commitment to his family, and a person who loved and enjoyed music and poetry and managed to include both in a busy life.There was also praise for his professional accomplishments, especially his persistent, ultimately successful efforts over a period of years to see the new James H. Quillen United States Courthouse built, in the face of major obstacles.

The new courthouse was dedicated in December 2001 at a ceremony here attended by then-U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard H. Baker Jr., then-U.S. Senators Fred Thompson and Bill Frist, then-U.S. Rep. Jenkins, and retired U.S. Rep. Quillen, who is now deceased.

Brandon Hull recalled that, since childhood, he had always thought of his father as “larger than life.”

Though he did not speak at the memorial service, Dr. Russell Nichols, interim president of Tusculum College, issued a statement expressing sadness at Judge Hull’s death and appreciation for his contributions to the College over the years.

“Our entire Tusculum College community is deeply saddened by the loss of Judge Hull, a distinguished alumnus, emeritus trustee, community ambassador, and true friend,” Dr. Nichols wrote.

“Judge Hull’s service to his alma mater was exemplary, including about a decade on the Board of Trustees beginning in 1979.

“Included among his many honors were the Distinguished Service Award, presented on the eve of his 80th birthday, and the designation of ‘The Honorable Thomas G. Hull ’50 classroom” in the new Thomas J. Garland Library.

“We are proud that his son, Brandon, currently serves on the board to perpetuate the good work of Judge Hull for Tusculum College.”

In Jenkins’ remarks, he also emphasized Judge Hull’s accomplishments, and stressed that the former judge was definitely “the driving force behind this great courthouse.”

Jenkins added that, in his view, Judge Hull’s greatest quality was “human resilience,” a reference to the fact that, as Jenkins noted, he had persevered in his life and spirit despite the tragic losses of a son and namesake at age 12, of a daughter and her unborn child at age 32, and of his wife of 40 years, Joan Brandon Hull, in 1995.

“Tom Hull endured, and Tom Hull Kept the faith,” Jenkins said.

Remembering her father, Leslie Hull cited in her comments what she said were Judge Hull’s strong faith, his love for his family, and his love for music and poetry.
Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, “If,” a favorite of the late federal judge, was reproduced in full on the service program.

Brandon and Leslie Hull also stressed their love and appreciation for Judge Hull’s second wife, Helge Woerz Hull, whom he married in 1999.

In Rev. Higgins’ comments, she drew on years of family association with the late judge as well as many years of association with him at Asbury Church, and Rev. Woody praised him as a person who “gave us a life that followed the law of God and the law of the land.”

Scripture passages were read by two of Judge Hull’s granddaughters, Leslie Claire Welsch and Meredith Hull.

The service Friday strongly emphasized music, including congregational singing of two familiar hymns, “Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”; a harp presentation by Eliizabeth Farr; and solos by Cindy Sams and Robert Bradley, including “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Peace Like A River.”

A formal military burial at GreeneLawn Memory Gardens followed the service at the church.

———–

Numerous friends and former colleagues of the late U.S. District Judge Thomas G. Hull recalled with warmth and respect their memories of Hull, who died Tuesday morning.

Greeneville Sun Publisher John M. Jones, a longtime friend of Judge Hull and his frequent ally in civic and economic development-related projects over the years, emphasized Hull’s strong civic spirit and called his death “a loss to the community.”

“Tom Hull was a good man in every sense of the word,” Jones said. “He was an outstanding citizen of this community.

“You could always count on him to stand for what was in the best interest of Greeneville and Greene County.”

Referring to Hull’s support for local economic development prior to assuming the federal judgeship in 1983, Jones noted that “He could always be counted on to help when we had an industrial prospect or any other problem.”

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins, reached Tuesday afternoon by telephone at his farm near Rogersville, said he was saddened to hear of Judge Hull’s passing.

Jenkins, who was a state circuit judge before serving 10 years as the First District’s congressman, said he visited Hull last week in Greeneville.

“I’m certainly sorry to hear about Tom Hull’s death. He was a great friend of mine, and some of the best memories I have are of time spent with Tom Hull.”

Jenkins said Hull “was a person who made a real contribution to this state and to this country.

“He served us well as a World War II veteran, as a legislator, and a federal judge. He was an astute businessman, but I think, beyond all those things, he was a great human being.”

Jenkins went on to say, “Tom had endured a lot of sad times, in the deaths of his son, Tommy, his daughter, Amy, and his wife, Jo Ann. Through it all he demonstrated a resiliency and a faith in the Almighty that was unsurpassed.

“I certainly extend to his wife and his family my deepest sympathy.”

Howard H. Baker Jr., who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan after service as President Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff and long service as U.S. Senator from Tennessee, commented from his Huntsville, Tenn., home, where he was celebrating his wife’s birthday.

Then-U.S. Sen. Baker had nominated Hull for the federal judgeship to which he was named in 1983 by then-President Reagan.

In an e-mailed statement, Baker said, “Judge Tom Hull was not only a distinguished federal jurist, but in many ways he was the very essence of the East Tennessee pioneer spirit.
“He was straightforward, dependable, and my good friend. I shall miss him.”

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., reached at his Washington, D.C., office, said he, too, was “sorry to hear about Judge Hull. He brings back a lot of good memories with me.”
Sen. Alexander added, “He was a great friend.”

Alexander explained that, when he was elected governor in 1978, the state had experienced a pardon and parole scandal under the previous administration that had eroded confidence in state government.

“It was an extraordinary time, and I needed to ask some men and women to make some extraordinary steps,” the former governor recalled.

Alexander actually took office early, in part because of concerns that his predecessor, then-Gov. Ray Blanton, would issue large numbers of pardons on the eve of the inauguration.
“I was looking for a way to restore confidence,” Alexander told the Sun, “so I asked Judge Hull to resign his position as circuit judge and come to work with me in the governor’s office,” as legal counsel.

At that time, Hull had served as circuit judge for the 3rd Judicial District since 1972. He resigned “at my request” in 1979, Alexander said. “He helped us get started on a straight course.” The senator said Hull had the maturity and judgment needed to help guide a very young staff, and “a lot of experience in state government.”

But most important, Alexander said, was Hull’s “reputation for integrity,” and that integrity itself, which made Hull “very popular with the legislators, and with our young staff.”

Alexander said Judge Hull “not only knew the law, he knew the legislature. He was an enormous help, not only in restoring confidence in the governor’s office, but in helping me create a successful term of office as governor.”

Alexander also recalled traveling to Washington in the early 1980s to join with then-Sen. Baker as they together “strongly made a case” for Judge Hull’s appointment as U.S. District Judge. That meeting with then-U.S. Attorney General William French Smith helped convince President Reagan to make the appointment that led to his subsequent confirmation by the U.S. Senate as a federal judge, Alexander said.

U.S. Rep. David Davis, R-1st, of Johnson City, reached by the Sun, said he mourned Hull’s passing, and provided a written comment.

“Judge Hull was a dedicated public servant known throughout East Tennessee,” Davis stated. “Judge Hull served his country during World War II, was a Tennessee State Representative, and a state and federal judge.” Davis said Hull was passionate about “everything he did, whether it was serving as Chief Clerk of the Tennessee General Assembly or as the campaign manager for James H. Quillen’s first campaign for the U. S. Congress.”

The congressman added, “A true family man and astute businessman, Judge Hull will be greatly missed in East Tennessee. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” Also among those who commented on the passing of Judge Hull was Circuit Judge Tom Wright, who worked as Hull’s law clerk in the 1980s.

“He was absolutely my mentor,” Judge Wright said of Judge Hull. “I’m deeply saddened by the loss because he meant so much to me and my family.”

Wright described Hull as “the most influential person professionally” in his life.

“He was probably the most influential person, after my mother and father, personally as well,” Judge Wright said. “I would not be where I am (today) without Judge Hull.”

Judge Wright recalled that, in 1985, Judge Hull had given him his first job in the legal profession, as his law clerk.

Wright noted that at one point, because of retirements and illnesses among the federal judges in the Eastern District of Tennessee, Judge Hull was practically the only judge working in the district.

After working for a year-and-a-half as Judge Hull’s law clerk, Wright said, he moved to Chattanooga and practiced law for six years.

“I already knew the (federal) judges there because of Judge Hull,” he recalled. “I can’t tell you how many doors Tom Hull opened for me.”

Judge Wright subsequently returned to Greeneville, where he worked for Federal Defender Services.

After being elected General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge here, Wright said, he tried to use things he learned from Judge Hull about how to run court. “I certainly learned something about how to administer a docket and run court.”

He described Judge Hull as being “very efficient” in operating his court. “He was very insistent on professionalism,” Judge Wright said.

Reached Tuesday afternoon, Greeneville business leader Kent Bewley said of Judge Hull, “He was a good man.”

“He was good to his family, good to his church, and good to the community. He made a very strong contribution to this community. He will be missed.”

Bewley noted that his late father, Roswell Bewley, and Hull had been close friends and business partners for many years. In addition, he said, the Hull and Bewley families had attended Asbury United Methodist Church together for many years.

Bewley recalled that he had known Judge Hull for about five decades.

“Both our families also have been longtime supporters of Holston United Methodist Home for Children,” Bewley said.

“Judge Hull had a major impact on this community,” he added, “and he will be missed.”

Terry Leonard, president of Leonard Associates LLC and a longtime friend and fellow church member of Judge Hull, recalled on Tuesday afternoon that he and Hull had worked and worshiped together for many years.

“He was a great citizen of Greeneville,” Leonard said. “It’s a big loss for us.”

Leonard said Judge Hull had played a major role over the years, often behind the scenes, in leading economic development activities here. “We worked together quite a bit on economic development matters,” Leonard said.

He recalled that he and Judge Hull had “had lunch almost every Thursday” for many years. “He was always a lot of fun,” Leonard said.

Judge Hull, Leonard said, “almost never missed a Sunday” at Asbury United Methodist Church in Greeneville. “We worked on a lot of church projects together over the years.”

Former Greeneville Mayor G. Thomas Love said he and Judge Hull were close friends for many years.

Love said that, when he was mayor, he could always count on Hull for advice.

“He gave me a lot of good advice when he was in Gov. Alexander’s cabinet in Nashville, and I was the mayor,” Love said.

He added, “Judge Hull was a good Christian family man who served us well in this county and will certainly be missed.”

Love, a fellow member of Asbury United Methodist Church, also noted, “He always helped Holston United Methodist Home for Children and was a dedicated member of his church.”

Rick Tipton, division manager for the Northeastern Division of U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee,recalled on Tuesday that he had spent 14 years as Judge Hull’s courtroom deputy before assuming his current position.

“He was a great man,” Tipton said of Hull.

“He taught me a lot that has helped me in my new job as division manger. This is tough for me because I spent a lot of time with him.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Inman, who served with Hull in U.S. District Court here from 1995 until Hull’s retirement in 2006, said the former judge had “a terrific influence” on his life. Inman recalled that, when he became a trial lawyer in 1971, he tried some of his first cases in front of Hull, who was then a state Circuit Judge in the Third Judicial District of Tennessee. “He had a definite effect on how I look at the law and how I tried lawsuits,” Inman recalled.

Inman said that, later, Hull was the one who recommended to U.S. Sen. Alexander that Inman be appointed as Chancellor of the Third Judicial District.

Moreover, Inman said, there is no doubt that Hull was responsible for his being named federal Magistrate.

“There’s a whole lot of people that owe him a great deal, not the least of which is me,” Inman said.

Inman also gave Hull the credit for the fact that the James H. Quillen United States Courthouse was built in Greeneville, calling the new courthouse “The House That Hull Built” through much persistence.

“He was a remarkable man,” Inman summed up.

U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer, who succeeded Hull, recalled their 35-year friendship while serving in state government and practicing law together.

Greer said in an interview Tuesday that he had feelings of both sadness and pride.

“I’m very sad, as is, I think, the entire court community,” Greer said.

“While I’m very sad at his passing, I’m also very proud of the record Tom leaves behind.

“He devoted his entire life to serving this community, his state, and his country,” Greer said.

“He certainly made an impact on this court that really can’t be measured,” Greer said.

In addition to former Judge Hull’s efforts to have a new federal courthouse built in Greeneville, Hull also instituted a number of practices in U.S. District Court here that made the process of resolving cases more efficient and just, Greer said.

“I’ll always be grateful for Tom Hull, for his friendship and for the support and assistance he gave me down through the years.”

Senior U.S. District Judge R. Alan Edgar, of Chattanooga, said by telephone from Michigan on Tuesday afternoon that he was saddened to learn of Judge Hull’s death.

He noted that he had known Judge Hull as a jurist since 1984. Both Judge Edgar and Judge Hull served terms as chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

“I was proud to have served with him,” Judge Edgar said, describing Judge Hull as “a self-made man who loved the people of Upper East Tennessee.”

Judge Edgar said Judge Hull had been an effective jurist. “He had a sense of what justice is,” Judge Edgar said.

Tusculum College representatives, including current and former Board of Trustees members, members of the College’s President’s Advisory Councils and TC staff members were part of a special event on Monday that brings a long-standing Northeast Tennessee higher education ambition closer to reality.

Regional leaders in government, business and education broke ground on the new Kingsport Center for Higher Education (KCHE) in a morning ceremony. Among those symbolically turning dirt with a shovel was Tusculum Provost Dr. Kimberly Estep.

Estep said, “Tusculum College is honored to have the opportunity to join the Association of Founding Partners of the Kingsport Center for Higher Education. As Tusculum has been offering academic programs to working adults in east Tennessee since 1984, we believe our programs are ideal for the students who will complete their college degrees at this new center. We look forward to the opportunity to work with the other founding partners to provide enhanced educational opportunities for the people living in the Kingsport area.”

More than 100 people attended Monday’s ceremony for the KCHE — city and chamber officials, state legislators, college and university representatives and people interested in the future of downtown all gathered to witness the official start of building a higher education center in downtown Kingsport.

“If you have the right people who have passion, you can really accomplish so much more than you ever dream of accomplishing,” said former Kingsport Mayor Jeanette Blazier. “This is a very good day.”

The city of Kingsport will build a 54,000-square-foot, technologically modern higher education center at the corner of Clay and Market streets in the downtown area. The center will be able to accommodate approximately 800 students and will include a 220-seat auditorium, two 60-seat lecture halls, classrooms, a media center and physical science labs.

The facility will be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified green higher education building in the state.

The $12.9 million project calls for Northeast State Technical Community College to operate the facility and offer the first two years of core courses. Participating universities and colleges, including Tusculum, would then offer their bachelor’s and master’s programs, with degrees being in the name of the university or college offering the program.

Along with Tusculum College, King College, Lincoln Memorial University, Carson-Newman, and the University of Tennessee are also participating. Northeast State is in discussions with other possible participants.

The charter colleges and universities plan to offer more than 70 associate degrees, eight baccalaureate degrees, 10 masters degrees and one educational specialist program. The plan is for all coursework required for the degrees to be available in the center.

“We are committed to making the project work,” Locke said. Builders J.A. Street and Associates are almost ready to begin work on the site. Plans call for the KCHE to be open for the fall semester of 2009.

“We’ll see some activity in earnest immediately. It’s a tight construction schedule and you should see steel go up very quickly,” Fleming said.

One goal in building a higher education center in Kingsport is to raise the educational attainment level of Kingsport’s citizens, producing qualified employees local business and industry needs. Planners hope the center will act as an economic stimulator for downtown Kingsport.

The idea of a higher education center in downtown Kingsport dates back nearly 20 years, as Blazier told the crowd in attendance on Monday. Blazier said the idea first came up in 1989 and 1990 during a visioning process, then again during the Model City Coalition project in the late 1990s and again in subsequent summits and Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) retreats.

In 2006 the BMA signed off on the project, and since then the city has moved forward with making the center a reality — purchasing the old Tire Center property to be the location and authorizing $11.27 million in bonds to fund the construction.

“At this point we wanted to control the land to preserve the future opportunity for expansion,” Fleming said. “We do not plan any future public expenditures on higher education buildings. We wanted to have the land available to partner with an institution that wants to build its own facility in the future.

Corinne Nicolas has been appointed the new Director of the Gateway Program, effective July 1st. With her office located at the Knoxville Center, Corinne will oversee the academic initiatives of this important component of the College’s Graduate and Professional Studies program.

Born in France, Corinne Nicolas moved to the United States in 1991 and came to Tusculum College a year later as a Fulbright visiting lecturer in French. She earned undergraduate degrees and a Master’s degree in English at the Université de Haute Bretagne, France. She also holds a Master of Arts in Education from Tusculum College, and is currently a doctoral candidate, ABD, in English and Composition Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Corinne is an associate professor of English. Over her tenure at Tusculum, she has taught writing, World Literature and Commons courses in both the residential and the GPS programs. She also served as Director of the Humanities Division for four years.

Nicolas assumes her new position while Edith Wagner, who has served ably as Gateway Coordinator for the past several years, will be continuing in her role as a faculty member in English for the Gateway program and as the coordinator for Prior Learning Assessment.

Tusculum College is grateful to Edie for the work she has done to strengthen the Gateway program as it has grown rapidly in recent years. The College also asks the community to join in wishing Corinne Nicolas well in her important new role.

Tusculum’s Candace Babb is among the contestants in this weekend’s Miss Tennessee Pageant in Jackson.

Candace is a 20-year-old Junior majoring in Early Childhood & Elementary Education at Tusculum. She is from Greeneville and is the daughter of Curtis and Teresa Babb.

Candace hopes to go to graduate studies in the future and become an administrator in a school system.

Candace is competing for Miss Tennessee as Miss Bristol.

In an interview with The Greeneville Sun, Candace said, “”I’m having a blast! We’ve been really impressed with the amount of security. We’re treated like celebrities. They’ve very protective of us, and they take good care of us.”

In her introductions, Candace has mentioned that she is a Tusculum College student, providing valuable publicity for the College.

The pageant can be viewed each night through Saturday’s finals online at http://www.eplustv6.com at 9 p.m.

More information on contestants can be seen at www.MissTennessee.org. You can post messages for contestants through this site.

Tusculum College’s Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Melinda Dukes will temporarily trade her teaching and administrative roles for that of student this summer as she takes part in the prestigious HERS Bryn Mawr Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Dr. Dukes won a competitive scholarship to take part in the SI, as it is usually abbreviated, from the Appalachian College Association, of which Tusculum College is a member.

Each summer since 1976, the HERS Bryn Mawr Summer Institute has provided a month-long residential program presenting an intensive leadership and management development curriculum for approximately seventy women faculty and administrators on the campus of Bryn Mawr College.

The ACA provides scholarships to three individuals out of a field of applicants. Each summer since 1976, the HERS Bryn Mawr Summer Institute has provided a month-long residential program presenting an intensive leadership and management development curriculum for approximately seventy women faculty and administrators on the campus of Bryn Mawr College.

Dr. Dukes said that participants will involve themselves in such issues as “best practices in higher education, including financial concerns, trends, enrollment issues, and federal issues in higher education.

Days at SI typically start early and end late, Dr. Dukes said. They provide an opportunity for highly focused, intensive discussion and training in which education professionals can share ideas and practices.

Dr. Dukes will be involved in her Bryn Mawr experience from June 21 through July 16. She will report on her experiences to ACA and others upon her return.

Tusculum College students living on campus will soon have the ability to upgrade their Internet connections to a broadband service provided by College Cable Services. The College Cable Services ResNet offering is coming this summer.

Under the agreement, College Cable Services will be offering an optional high speed broadband cable modem Internet service in all Tusculum College residence halls and campus houses in time for the fall semester.

The college Information Systems department says that basic Internet services that have previously been available in the residence halls will continue at no additional charge. However, the Information Systems department says that due to liability issues for the college, basic Internet service will be filtered to prevent abuse.

The ResNet offering by College Cable Services will provide the bandwidth necessary for students who play World of Warcraft, for example.

College Cable Services are in the process of adding an online signup option for students. All billing for the optional Internet service will be handled by College Cable Services, Inc. Additional information and details will be made available in the coming weeks.

Tusculum College is mourning the loss of a member of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Donald Henard, who passed away unexpectedly this week.

Visitation for Dr. Henard will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Greeneville’s Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home.  The funeral service will be at 7 p.m.  Burial will be in a private ceremony on Sunday.

A full obituary for Dr. Henard may be found at www.doughty-stevens.com.

Two research chemists, friends since college, whose academic and career paths have followed similar patterns were given Tusculum College Distinguished Service Awards (DSA) Friday night at the college’s annual President’s Dinner, held at the General Morgan Inn.

Honored were native Greene Countian Dr. Larry Brotherton and Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, both 1970 chemistry graduates from Tusculum College. Brotherton and Bowman were close friends as classmates and attended the University of Tennessee together after Tusculum graduation, both earning Ph.Ds in chemistry at the same time. They have remained friends throughout life, and both are members of the Tusculum College board of trustees today.

The 2008 DSA honors marked the first time the award has been given simultaneously to two individuals, except for one case in the 1990s when the award was given to alumni Hugh and Eleanor Jaynes, a married couple who shared the award.

The 2008 award was presented by Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols, assisted by trustee James Durham, a 1979 TC graduate who won the award last year.

Nichols presented Brotherton’s award first, making friendly, humorous references to Brotherton’s life, including his growing-up years in rural Greene County. He mentioned Brotherton’s farming experience of plowing behind a mule, and referenced Brotherton’s home community by noting that Brotherton is a man who is able to answer the question, “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”

Brotherton grew up in the Romeo community of Greene County and attended the two-room Romeo school, where he passed the fifth and sixth grades within a single school year.

With Brotherton was his wife, the former Carmen Keller of Greene County. She and Brotherton met while attending North Greene High School together.

In 1980, Brotherton founded Ortec, Inc., a custom chemical manufacturing company in Easley, S.C. He continues to lead the company today. He also founded Ortec Racing, LLC and Laughlin Racing Products, both of these NASCAR-associated businesses. He was also an organizer of Community South Bank.

In his brief comments after receiving the honor, Brotherton focused on how his college experience enabled him to develop a vision of a world beyond the limits of his earlier experiences. Before Tusculum, he said, he “didn’t know there was a Mozart.”

Brotherton has a history of strong support of Tusculum College, including a major gift to the capital campaign that allowed the recent renovation and expansion of the library, which on Friday was dedicated and named the Thomas J. Garland Library.

After the dinner, he commented that, in his opinion, one of his best contributions to the college was recruiting his friend and DSA co-winner Ken Bowman as a fellow trustee. Bowman’s award also was presented by Nichols, aided by Durham.

Nichols noted that Bowman’s associations with Tusculum College follow “a family tradition, as his father, the late Ray L. Bowman, was a member of the Class of 1942 and established a pattern of positive involvement in college, community, family and church life that Ken has carried on since his student days at Tusculum.”

Nichols discussed Bowman’s strengths as a trustee and trustee chairman, and declared him to be one of the most committed and hardest-working trustee chairman Nichols has ever encountered in his long career in higher education.

He also made humorous observations about Bowman, teasing him regarding his golfing hobby and describing Bowman, a research chemist with Alcoa Aluminum in Pennsylvania, as someone who “makes beer cans.”

More seriously, he went on that “Ken is a consummate professional and has made his name known in his field of expertise. Working in the aluminum industry with the famous Alcoa company in Pennsylvania, Ken holds 13 U.S. patents in his industry, and is considered an authority in the science of aluminum. He was once engaged by the editors of the World Book Encyclopedia to provide the material in that encyclopedia’s entry for ‘aluminum.'”

In his thank-you comments, Bowman said he would take his lead from the brief comments made earlier in the day by Tom Garland when the Library at Tusculum College was named in Garland’s honor: “A very sincere thank you.”

After the dinner, the two DSA winners greeted friends and congratulators and posed for pictures with their wives. Bowman’s wife is Jo Ellen Bowman.

The President’s Dinner is hosted each spring by Tusculum College as a thank-you gesture to the college’s major donors.

The Library at Tusculum College now is named the Thomas J. Garland Library, honoring a lifelong East Tennessean with a long and illustrious career in state government, higher education and private enterprise.

A plaque proclaiming the name and an oil portrait of Garland were unveiled by business leader, philanthropist and Tusculum College alumnus and trustee Scott M. Niswonger in a public ceremony held Friday afternoon. Niswonger has often said he considers Garland a personal mentor and repeated that thought in his comments Friday afternoon.

As the lead donor in the capital campaign that funded the library project, Niswonger earned “naming rights” to the building, and opted to name it after Garland.

The Garland Library incorporates the Albert Columbus Tate Library section, which dates to 1910, as well as a large, new expansion area.

The crowd to see the event packed the main floor lobby of the library.

Garland, a former Tusculum College interim president now associated with the Niswonger Foundation, was present but had not been told in advance about the honor. Garland reacted by noting his surprise, and giving a “very sincere thank-you” to Niswonger and the 1,074 other donors who supported the library project.

Garland was born in Kingsport, educated in the Kingsport and Oak Ridge school systems, and graduated from East Tennessee State University with a B.A. degree. He received the ETSU Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1973.

His positions in business, education, and government have included chairmanship of the board of Commerce Union Bank (now Bank of America), Greeneville; chancellorship of the Tennessee Board of Regents; the interim presidency of Tusculum College, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees and is the immediate past chairman of the board.

He holds an honorary Doctor of Law and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Tusculum College. He lives near Tusculum College, and has been a Greeneville resident for many years.

He served in the Tennessee Senate from 1964 through 1985, 17 of those years as Senate Minority Leader. He also served on numerous civic and corporate boards and currently is senior advisor to the Niswonger Foundation, chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy, and a director of Atmos Energy Corporation. Garland currently serves on the Tennessee Ethics Committee as an appointee of Gov. Phil Bredesen.

In making the announcement, Niswonger said that Garland was one of the first people he met when he entered the Greeneville community at the age of 21 as a young pilot. Three years later, Garland, then a bank leader helped Niswonger launch his business career.

Also participating in the ceremony were Tusculum College Board Chairman Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, Interim President Dr. Russell L. Nichols, Tusculum College Life Trustee the Rev. Angus Shaw, Assistant Professor of Business Administration Dr. Michelle Freeman, alumnus Glen Black, Library Director Myron J. “Jack” Smith, and Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement Susan D. Vance.

Major donors to the capital campaign that funded the renovation and expansion were introduced and honored through the unveiling of new plaques associated with named rooms, service desks and collections in the library.

Additionally, a listing of all donors to the $10 million campaign was published in the event program.

The announcement of the Campaign for the Library occurred April 27, 2002. Groundbreaking for the expansion happened Oct. 11, 2003. The grand opening of the library occurred Sept. 23, 2005. Architects for the building were Hecht, Burdeshaw, Johnson, Kidd, and Clark, Inc., and Fisher + Associates. The general contractor was Rouse Construction. The project almost tripled the size of the original building. The original library structure remains and is incorporated into the overall expansion.

Music for the dedication was provided by the Greeneville High School Jazz Band and by harpist Martha Painter.

Tusculum College’s commencement ceremonies on Saturday were highlighted by the conferring of an honorary doctoral degree upon Dr. Angelo Volpe, a college trustee who served last summer as acting president of Tusculum College.

Additionally, Tusculum’s first-ever Civic Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Edward Kormondy, a 1950 Tusculum College alumnus and trustee who also was an acting president in 2007.

During the second of the day’s two commencement ceremonies, the college’s graduating class also welcomed a dozen special guests: members of the “Golden Pioneer Class,” meaning Tusculum graduates of 50 years ago, the Class of 1958. Clad in robes of yellow, the honored class sat together with the class of 2008 and were applauded when introduced individually during the ceremony.

HONORARY DOCTORATE

Volpe’s honorary doctorate, a Doctor of Science degree, was presented by Dr. Kormondy, who heads the committee of the Board of Trustees that oversees honorary degrees and is vice chairman of the board. The decision to grant the honor to Volpe was made by unanimous vote of the trustees in their last meeting in February.

Though best known for his presidency for several years at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Dr. Volpe had a distinguished academic career prior to that.

In the 1980s, Dr. Volpe, a New York native, was vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of chemistry at East Carolina University. He has also been dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina and a teacher of chemistry at East Carolina and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.

He received his doctorate from the University of Maryland and was a research chemist in the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory in the 1960s. He is active in professional organizations and is extensively published in scholarly journals.

He and his wife, Jennette, who was present for Saturday’s ceremony, live in Cookeville. The Tennessee Tech library is named in their honor as the Angelo and Jennette Volpe Library and Media Center.

After his retirement from Tennessee Tech, where he taught chemistry in addition to serving as president, Dr. Volpe joined the Tusculum College Board of Trustees in 2005. His initial interest in Tusculum College rose from his association with Dr. Tom Garland, who headed the Tennessee State Board of Regents at the time Dr. Volpe was hired as president of Tennessee Tech.

Today Dr. Volpe holds the title of president emeritus of Tennessee Tech and still maintains an office on the campus.

Volpe did not address the commencement crowd directly during the ceremony, but afterward privately expressed his appreciation for the honor.

KORMONDY AWARD

Receiving the college’s first Civic Leadership Award, recognizing him for his own work as an acting president of Tusculum College in 2007. Dr. Kormondy, along with Dr. Volpe, stepped in to act as Tusculum College’s top executives last year when the presidential office became empty, each devoting weeks of time to the task and and often working in consultation with one another.

Kormondy, who already held an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Tusculum College dating to 1997, was given the new Civic Achievement Award as a surprise. He did not address the crowd, but was visibly moved to tears by the honor.

Kormondy lives in Los Angeles. After his undergraduate years at Tusculum, Kormondy earned a master’s degree and doctoral degree, both in zoology, from the University of Michigan. He also served professionally at that university as well as at Oberlin College, the University of Pittsburgh, The Evergreen State College, the University of Southern Maine, and California State University-Los Angeles in various capacities including dean, provost, and vice president for academic affairs.

In the latter portion of his career he was chancellor and professor of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu. After retirement, he served as interim president of the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

In 2000 his outstanding service to the University of Hawaii system was recognized when the Board of Regents named him chancellor emeritus.

A skillful writer and communicator, Kormondy has written and edited numerous biology textbooks and publications. He has played important roles in several professional organizations, including service as vice president of the Southern California Academy of Sciences from 1995 to 1997, president of the National Association of Biology Teachers in 1981, and secretary of the Ecological Society of America from 1976 to 1978.

In 1978, Kormondy represented the U.S. State Department on a mission to Poland and Hungary to examine environmental education. He has studied higher education in China during five extensive visits, the most recent concerned with education of China’s 56 minority nationalities. He has served as a consultant in the life sciences to some 30 institutions, including the Universidad Simone Bolivar in Venezuela. He also has been involved in civic, scientific, and arts-supporting organizations in his home communities through the years.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Student speakers, representing each of the degree programs, addressed their fellow graduates at their respective students. Speaking in the morning ceremony were Jason Surlas from the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management program and Vivian Gibbons from the Master of Arts in Education program.

Surlas, of Knoxville, spoke of his experiences as an adult learner, returning to the classroom after years in a career and having begun a family. It was a challenging task to juggle each of his responsibilities, he said, but noted that anything worthwhile requires hard work and dedication.

He said that the Tusculum Graduate and Professional Studies approach — a night of class once a week and another night to meet with a study group — seemed overwhelming at first, but Surlas found the program ideal for adult learners.

He described the Tusculum program as a door of opportunity for him, and challenged his fellow graduates to recognize such doors of opportunity that their own educational path will create, trust God, and go through those doors.

Vivian Gibbons, of Greeneville, shared her three rules of life for achievers. She told her fellow graduates that they were achievers because they had pursued a goal and persevered until it was completed.

Her first rule is “take care of yourself,” not merely in a physical way but also in terms of spiritual and emotional health. Her second rule is to “take care of others,” which includes working to make the world a better place to live in for all. The third rule is to “take care of your spiritual life,” believing in something larger than oneself.

The speakers in the afternoon ceremony were Regina Cole, representing the Bachelor of Arts in Education program, and Tamara Wynn, representing the Residential College program.

Cole recounted her path to her degree, from volunteering in her children’s school to being a substitute teacher, and from there to returning to school herself. Cole said she was encouraged along the way by others to pursue her desire to become a teacher, and she urged those at the ceremony to encourage adults that they may know who want to continue to education to reach for their goal. It is “never too late to listen to your heart,” she said.

Tamara Wynn said she had thought back to the person she was when she came to Tusculum. That person was very protective of her identity and was sure she would be the same person four years later, but just more knowledgeable academically. However, Wynn said, she is very different person now, a person who has grown through support from faculty and her friends.

Dr. Stephen Weisz, the campus minister, delivered the baccalaureate sermon, “The Lord is Your Shepherd.”

“Today, you may feel as you earn your degree, have a job, or a promise of a job that you don’t need a shepherd.” But real happiness is found not from monetary or social success, but from a relationship with God, said Weisz. “If the Lord is your shepherd, you will have a meaningful life,” he said.

GOLDEN PIONEERS WELCOMED

Members of the Class of 1958, this year’s “Golden Pioneer Class,” attended both the afternoon commencement ceremony and a preceding luncheon held in their honor on the terrace of the Library at Tusculum College.

In attendance Saturday were Bill Carroll, Bill Davis, Donald Eckelhofer, Norman Hankins, Ben Hankins, “Tippy” Dell’Aquila Corliss, Kathleen Schwartz, Karol Schneckenberg Light, Lyle Ray Smith, Perry C. Crabtree, Margi Maracle Hartman, John Strange and Billy Hutton Horne.

Tusculum College conferred just over 300 academic degrees during the two ceremonies. Though in recent years the college has conducted only one ceremony each commencement day, this weekend two ceremonies were done in order to better accommodate the large crowds that typically attend.

Both ceremonies saw the Pioneer Arena substantially filled, mostly by families and friends of graduates.