CAMPUS NEWS Choral Music has a new mentor ATHLETICS Russak receives basketball award FACULTY FEATS Learning the ‘outdoor stuff’ VOL NUM FALL 56 02 14 18 BE BOLD CAMPAIGN 36 JAMES HARLAN I AM WESLEYAN PRACTICING THE ART OF GIVING BACK Betty and Willie Mullen open their home to students and so much more at Southeastern who suggested he look at cooked Thanksgiving meals for students Wesleyan. “We were pretty good back then,” who have nowhere to go for the holidays, Willie remembered of the Iowa Wesleyan and they’ve hosted students who like to study team. for finals in a family environment. Over the years, they’ve adopted a number of students, Their lives intersected at a football game most recently Brittany Nave, currently a in 1973 when Willie offered to share his nurse in the Kansas City area. Willie seems blanket with Betty, whose upbringing in to recall a dozen adoptees over the years. Louisiana and Mississippi failed to prepare her for chilly Iowa football weather. “She “It reminds me of what it was like when met me,” Willie said, laughing, recalling the I came to Iowa Wesleyan,” Betty said. “I offer. remember what it was like when I wasn’t able to go home. I had no place to go.” Willie was the first to graduate in 1974 Michael Adams with a degree in recreation and physical Both are retired now. Willie spent 35 years education; Betty followed in 1975 with a as an activities therapist at the Mental oth Betty and Willie Mullen degree in special studies in social work and a Health Institute in Mount Pleasant and came to Iowa Wesleyan from the minor in psychology. They married in 1977 spends his time now gardening and “driving Deep South. Betty grew up in and raised three children in Mount Pleasant. Miss Betty,” as he puts it. Betty was a Greenville, Mississippi, Willie psychiatric social worker at MHI and a Bin Demopolis, a small town in southwest Both are very active in Iowa Wesleyan social work consultant. For the past 32 years Alabama. Both were one of 13 children in activities. Betty has served four terms on the Betty has been a sales director for Mary their respective families, and each felt that Alumni board. “I enjoy it because we get to Kay cosmetics, which she continues to do. the prospect of an education in Iowa would express the needs of the college community And each finds satisfaction in their work change their lives for the better. The year to the alumni,” she said. “It gives me the with their local church, Second Baptist was 1971. chance to get firsthand information.” Ministries. Betty had applied to a number of schools, For decades, they’ve attended football “People sometimes don’t realize how much including Duke and the Illinois Institute of games, basketball games, plays, debates, value we have at Wesleyan,” Betty said. Technology, receiving offers of scholarships Forum programming, but it is their She cites the Haselmayer Endowment at all, but she chose Iowa Wesleyan, and to interactions with students throughout the programming, the sports, the professional this day is pleased with her choice. “I had years, which has endeared them to the people attracted to Mount Pleasant as a never been to Iowa, so I thought, ‘why not.’” Wesleyan community. They are long-time result of the college. They love their church She wanted to study special education, social ushers at graduation, and Betty has spoken and the ability to provide a home away from work and psychology. frequently at the Black Awareness Board. home for so many students. Mount Pleasant For the past eight years they’ve opened is their home. Willie’s coach in Demopolis knew their home for Bible study, and indeed, a the basketball coach at Southeastern large Bible sits on the coffee table in their Their only complaint, like it was in 1973, Community College in Burlington, and he living room. They’ve had as many as 25 is the cold. They still don’t like the Iowa suggested Willie think about continuing his students attend these sessions, discussing winters, but they still share a blanket when playing days in Iowa. And it was his coach Bible passages and issues of the day. They’ve the need arises. TABLE OF CONTENTS Features In This Issue 03 Wesleyan’s Future 06 Profiles 08 Commencement 2014 10 Faculty Feats 18 Be bold. 14 Serving the Community 34 New Day for D.P. Wilson 16 Cabinet Updates 36 James Harlan Comes Home 26 Campus News 32 Athletics 40 Class Notes The Purple & White is published two times a year by Iowa Wesleyan College for alumni, friends, faculty and staff. Send Class Notes and address changes to the Alumni Relations Office, Iowa Wesleyan College, 601 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641-1398. Ph: 319.385.6215 Fax: 319.385.6296 Email: [email protected] Website: www.iwc.edu Cover photo courtesy of the Architect of the U.S. Capitol. Left, Autumn brings its colors to campus. Sheri Michaels IWC.EDU 01 EDITOR LETTER FROM Ashlee Whipple [email protected] FREELANCE WRITER THE EDITOR Michael Adams PUBLICATION MANAGER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sheri Michaels [email protected] CLASS NOTES EDITOR Donna Gardner [email protected] PRESIDENT Dr. Steven Titus [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT AND ello! With much happiness, I welcome you to the newly designed Purple COMMUNICATIONS & White. After months of deliberation, creative conversations, and future Scott Briell planning discussions, it’s exciting to present you with the outcome of our collaboration. [email protected] H JENSEN DESIGN STUDIO In April, the college partnered with Jensen Design Studio, located in Baltimore, Robert Rytter Maryland to introduce a new integrated marketing plan. As Jensen Design Studio met President & Creative Director with students, faculty, and staff, the unique qualities of Iowa Wesleyan came to the forefront: an active, relevant, purposeful education. From there the idea for the “Be bold.” VICE PRESIDENT FOR campaign developed. While the admissions and marketing offices were busy working on DEVELOPMENT AND the recruitment campaign, it became apparent that Purple & White should be integrated ALUMNI RELATIONS into the new marketing campaign. The goal was to bring continuity to the admissions Meg Richtman and marketing publications and make them fresh, clean and contemporary while staying [email protected] true to our mission and how we tell IW’s compelling story. DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI One decision the marketing and development team made during one of our planning RELATIONS sessions was to change the timeline of how the magazine is distributed. You will now Anita Brent Hampton ’71 receive a fall and spring issue of the Purple and White and a winter Philanthropy Report. [email protected] SPORTS INFORMATION I especially want to thank Sheri Michaels, Iowa Wesleyan’s publication manager for DIRECTOR assisting me with the transition in my new role and for all the work she did to help with Anna Jones ’12 the new campaign and especially the Purple & White. I hope you enjoy the articles, from the road to Wesleyan’s future to D.P. Wilson’s amazing 52 years of service to the college; [email protected] we have so many great stories to feature in this issue. The new academic year is in full swing. It’s an ever changing time at Iowa Wesleyan College but an exciting one! We look forward to bringing you informative, thought- provoking content in our issues and challenge you to take risks, be confident, be courageous… and “Be bold.” We welcome your feedback and will see you again in the spring with our next edition of the Purple and White. Ashlee Whipple [email protected] 02 IOWA WESLEYAN COLLEGE | FALL 2014 WESLEYAN’S FUTURE THE ROAD TO WESLEYAN’S FUTURE BEGINS NOW The Commission on the Future of Wesleyan holds its f irst meeting for development of five-year strategic plan he Commission on the Future of Wesleyan, the for the May 2015 board of trustees meeting. President Steven 20-member group of dedicated faculty and staff co- Titus, who has worked with Sanaghan in the past, appointed chaired by Meg Richtman and David File, began its the commission and will serve as an ad hoc member. work in earnest this spring with a two-day training sessionT which launched a strategic planning process to move Iowa One of the more unique features of the commission’s work has been Wesleyan forward. the launch of a website (iwc.edu/commission) that outlines the five phases of the process including minutes of the commission’s The group is being led by Pat Sanaghan, a strategic planning meetings, updates on the plan’s progress, an overview of collected consultant, author and principal of the Sanaghan Group, a data and the opportunity for college stakeholders—such as students, Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in helping national faculty, trustees, community leaders, and the general public—to non-profit organizations realize their visions for success. make suggestions and offer comments on the commission’s work. According to co-chair File, associate vice president and dean of Meg Richtman, vice president for development and alumni relations, adult and graduate studies, Sanaghan uses a unique methodology is excited by the planning process and how it’s been utilized at IWC: he developed and outlined in his book Sanaghan’s Collaborative “Sometimes in higher ed, strategic planning is only an internal process. Strategic Planning in Higher Education. Sanaghan will make five Frequently, the roll out of the plan is the first time that stakeholders visits to campus as the commission works to complete a report have heard of the plan.