• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Rhode Island College Digital Commons @ RIC What's News? Newspapers 5-9-1994 What's News At Rhode Island College Rhode Island College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news Recommended Citation Rhode Island College, "What's News At Rhode Island College" (1994). What's News?. 481. https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news/481 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at Digital Commons @ RIC. It has been accepted for inclusion in What's News? by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ RIC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. w HA ~ E w s AT RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE Vol. 14 Issue 15 Circulation over 35,000 May 9, 1994 Student leader Muir to perform in uuniversal language of music" named to Board The Muir String Quartet, Afro-American art pioneer, of Governors and 'Black Eagles' aviator to receive honorary degrees at undergraduate commencement by Clare Eckert What's News Editor by Clare Eckert Rhode Island College student What's News Editor leader Monica Yvette Paige joined members of the Rhode Island Board of he internationally Governors £or acclaimed Muir String Higher Quartet, noted worldwide Education at Tfor "entrancing" its audi­ their May 5 ences, and Edmund Barry Gaither, meeting as the a pioneer in the promotion of Afro­ first college American art and the founding student in the director of Boston's Museum of the history of the National Center of Afro-American state to have Artists (NCAAA), will receive hon­ voting rights orary degrees at the 1994 Rhode on issues that Island College undergraduate com­ come before the policy-making mencement ceremony scheduled for board. Her appointment was Saturday, May 21, at 9:30 a.m. on announced by Governor Bruce the lawn to the west of Whipple Sundlun on April 14 after a com­ Hall. THE MUIR STRING QUARTET petitive selection process involv­ In addition, U.S. Air Force Retired Lt. Col. Spann Watson, who ing student candidates from the an Honorary Doctorate of Public Auditorium. (See below) three state public schools. was a member of the famous Tuskegee "Black Eagles" during Service Degree during the under­ Singled out for their "amazing In making his selection, the gov­ graduate ceremonies. Watson will perfection," The Muir String ernor said, "Monica Paige is an World War II, and later played a key role in the development of the be the keynote speaker at the School Quartet recently completed six RIC enthusiastic and well-rounded integration plan for the armed of Graduate Studies commence­ performances of the complete forces during the sixties, will receive ment, scheduled for Thursday, May Continued on page 4 19, at 5:30 p.m. in Roberts Continued on page 6 Lt. Col. Watson to keynote School of Graduate Studies commencement U.S. Air Force Retired Lt. Col. Born in Johnston, South Carolina, Spann Watson, who was a member and having attended one-room of the famous Tuskegee "Black schools as a child, Watson's interest Eagles," a group of black U.S. Air in aviation grew subsequent to hav­ Force trained pilots who were ing been a member of an audience refused combat duty during World before which Charles A. Lindbergh War II, yet fought against the spoke. In 1939, while a student at Germans on a least one occasion, Howard University, he joined the will give the keynote address at the original Civil 1994 Rhode Island College School of Aeronautics Graduate Studies commencement, Sponsored Pilot scheduled for Thursday, May 19, at Training 5:30 p.m. in Roberts Auditorium. A Program, later reception will follow in Donovan pursuing Dining Center. advance flight This is the first time in 13 years training at that the College has held separate Tuskegee commencement exercises for its Institute in undergraduate and graduate Alabama, from classes. Lt. Col. Watson will receive where he was an Honorary Doctorate of Public later inducted Service Degree the following into the armed LT. COL. WATSON Saturday (May 21) during the forces and began his military avia­ College's undergraduate commence­ tion career. ment. Watson's military life has taken The 24-year Air Force veteran him to numerous countries through­ joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in out the world, and he has accumu­ 1941 and became one of the first to lated significant flying experience in graduate from flying school at all categories of military aircraft . Tuskegee Army Air Base. He later In addition, military assignments became a member of the Tuskegee and commands include controller Airmen Experience and one of the and manager of air traffic control original 99th Fighter Squadron facilities in the United States and pilots , an all black , eight-member abroad. In 1959, Watson became unit of pilots flying P-40 fighter air­ senior director and manager of the craft. Denied the right to fly during Semi-Automatic Ground Environ­ Cap and Gown World War II, the "Black Eagles" - ment Air Defense Center at as they came to be called - did fight Newburgh, N.Y., just prior to his in combat as the first black unit to ever do so. Continued on page 6 Page 2- What's News, May9, 1994 In Memoriam - Biology Prof. Robert Young Characterized as "a valued and He was a member of the Sigma Psi .D. in ALUM respected colleague who gave more Fraternity. He received his Ph than 24 years of service to Rhode biochemistry from the University of Island College," Robert M. Young of Pittsburgh Medical School in 1970. ASSOCIATION & ALUMNI FUND NEWS Providence, a professor of biology He was a member of the American and former department chairman Society of Microbiologists, the Solicitation for the 1994 Alumni Fund has begun and what a response American Society of Zoologists, the .-------=-----, for a period of we've been getting! Twenty-five student callers spent three weeks on the 10 years, died Association for the Advancement of April 29 at Science and the American Institute phone in April, seeking new and increased support for the Fund from you, Miriam of Biological Scientists. He was a Rhode Island College's alumni. We received commitments during those Hospital. member of the executive committee three weeks exceeding $126,000, a record among all previous He was 54. of the Rhode Island College chapter phonathons at the College! Born in of the American Federation of Our goal for the 1994 Fund is $250,000. It's a challenging goal, but one Brooklyn, N.Y ., Teachers and a past treasurer and your help and your classmates' help. The response a son of the late member of Temple Beth Sholom. we can meet with Thomas and There are no immediate survivors . from alumni we called during the phonathon was so heartening. People Hannah He was the companion of Sharon are giving $250 to $500 because it is essential to the College. They are (Schoenfeld) Gleckman of Providence. demonstrating in a very tangible way that they are proud of Rhode Island (File photo) Young, he had Funeral services were held at College and grateful for what it did for them. Temple Beth Sholom, Providence. moved to One aspect of the phonathon that, for me, makes up for the crazy hours Providence 24 years ago. He Burial was in Lincoln Park received his bachelor of science and Cemetery, Warwick. required is that I get to work with current students. Not only are they a master's degrees in 1960 and 1965, ~-----~ great group of people for me to manage, but through respective!)', from Brooklyn College. G.L. the calling process they are learning about the College from an alumni perspective. They can see what an alumna is doing with her English degree or they hear Prof. Emerita 'Tess' Hoffman dies at 70 the pride in an alumnus' voice when they hear that someone is calling him from their alma mater. The Anastasia C. "Tess" Hoffman, 70, four MacDowell Colony fellowships, a professor emerita of English at a grant from the National contact the students have with alumni help them real­ Rhode Island College, died March Endowment for the Humanities, ize they can do something for the College after they 14 at Guemes Island, Wash., where and several grants from the Rhode graduate and that their connection with the College she lived since 1988. Island Committee for the continues for their entire lifetime. It's a message that She was the wife of Charles G. Humanities - one for a film and cannot be overstated. I thank them for their successful Hoffmann, professor emeritus of lecture series at the Providence efforts and I thank you for responding so positively. If we haven't reached English at the University of Rhode Public Library on Afro-American Island. women in Hollywood cinema. you yet, we will keep trying by mail or by phone. I look forward to hearing A Rhode Island resident for 37 Her scholarly articles and short from you. years, she and her husband lived in stories appeared in North American Kingston, Providence and Newport Review, Rhode Island History, New Kristen A. Jalbert England Quarterly, Accent, before they moved to Guemes Assistant Director of Development/Annual Giving Island. Colorado ,Quarterly, Transatlantic Born in Atlanta, Ga., a daughter Review, and Horticulture, among of the late Chris and Helen Carlos, others. she was edu .cated at Agnes Scott After her retirement~ Professor College (B.A.), the University of Hoffmann co-wrote with her hus­ President announces x~ Iowa (M.A.), and the University of band two books about Rhode Island faculty promotions Wisconsin (M.A.L.S. and Ph.D.). history, North by South (University ~~ ✓ She taught a variety of courses in of Georgia Press, 1.988) and and tenure 7r.--- - the English department at RIC from Brotherly Love (University of 1965 until her retirement in 1988, Massachusetts Press, 1993).

Load more

  16

Copy Link