Bound for Oxford: Office of National Fellowships Helps Johnson Win Rhodes

Bound for Oxford: Office of National Fellowships helps Johnson win Rhodes By Barry Ray ors Program, described the office the application process so that they FSU News and Public Affairs (http://onf.fsu.edu) as a major step will be prepared to succeed. in “a full-court press for academic Cottle said a faculty task force Being selected for a Rhodes excellence” among FSU’s under- recommended that the office be Scholarship represents the culmina- graduates. formed in part to increase FSU’s vis- tion of many months of hard work The Office of National Fellow- ibility as a center for academic ex- and preparation, as Florida State ships was formed in late 2004 at the cellence among undergraduate stu- University’s newest Rhodes Schol- urging of a task force of professors dents. ar, student-athlete Garrett Johnson, and administrators led by physics “We have great students. It’s can attest. But Johnson admits he faculty member Susan Blessing. The about time we gave them a chance couldn’t have done it without the office’s mission is to serve FSU stu- to excel on a national level,” assistance of FSU’s Office of Nation- dents by making them aware of Cottle told FSU’s trustees in Garrett Johnson al Fellowships. more than 60 nationally competitive September 2004 as he re- Paul Cottle, a professor of undergraduate and graduate schol- quested $100,000 in funding to start physics at FSU and director of the arships, identifying qualified stu- up the office. university’s Undergraduate Hon- dents, and mentoring them through (Continued on page 2) s d n u m d E e February-March 2006 l e h c i M / b a L o t o h P U S F Alumni support ‘FSU Connect’ with $617 million By Jeffery Seay “That night, the spirit and the determined that we could do better. $617 million. The campaign closed Tallahassee. “They, I believe, have Editor in Chief enthusiasm of the Seminoles came We could raise $600 million.” this past December. an affinity for FSU. They’re either forward, and we determined that FSU alumni and friends did “I’m forever grateful for those graduates or maybe they have em- Bill Smith remembers the half a billion dollars was not the just that and more. As a result of people in the room that night who ployees or children who attend or night in 1999 when a group of ded- right number for FSU,” said Smith broad, national support, “FSU stood up and suggested their love are graduates, or some other con- icated Florida State University (B.S. ’76, Finance), the CEO of Cap- CONNECT: The Campaign for for their alma mater by adding an- nection to FSU. alumni gathered to discuss the par- ital City Bank in Tallahassee. “We Florida State University” raised other $100 million to the goal,” said “(A cooperative effort) is ab- ticulars of a new campaign to raise Smith, who served as one of four solutely essential,” Hillis contin- capital for their alma mater. En- co-chairs of the FSU CONNECT ued. “You have to have staff and couraged by FSU’s success in rais- campaign, and is the incoming volunteers who are fully engaged, ing $301 million during the “An In- chairman of the FSU Foundation and on the same page, in order to vestment in Learning” campaign Board of Trustees. “That really be successful. You’ve got to make from 1991 to 1997, the group was pushed us over the top.” sure that you are structuring your eager to begin anew and aim high- From support by young alum- proposals to potential donors in a er: half a billion dollars. ni — such as Alex Mullineaux (B.S. way that meets their needs, as well ’02, Political Science), who made a as the university’s needs — and T F P 1 6 a l u o 0 l b l campaign gift in support of the Di- that takes a lot of coordination be- r 0 a l i i d h R c a a vision of Student Affairs, to the tween volunteers and staff.” e B s d S s r t e o B record-setting generosity of Talla- Another key to the campaign’s a e a t a , d e r F c hassee businessman DeVoe Moore successful close — just as crucial as b U L a e s n r 3 t (Honorary Doctor of Humane Let- cooperation — was the comprehen- i 2 P v C 3 e l 1 a e r ters, ’05), his wife Shirley and their sive analysis of potential donors 0 z n s - a i t t 6 e , y daughters Katherine and Tiffany — done prior to the campaign’s open- 0 r S 6 u 8 i the Seminole faithful have stood up ing, according to FSU alumnus and t e 1 to be counted in record numbers. FSU CONNECT co-chair Wayne 0 4 FSU alumna and FSU CON- Hogan. NECT co-chair Nan Hillis (B.S. ’76, “The analysis that was done as Marketing) praised large and small to whether we could accomplish donors alike, pointing out the mas- this was solid,” said Hogan (B.A. sive cooperative effort that was re- ’69, Economics; J.D. ’72, Law), an at- quired to make such a campaign torney in Jacksonville, Fla. “It told x a L l successful. us that we had a dedicated alumni l i B / “I think if you look at a lot of base that really had been waiting b a L the people and companies who for the opportunity to do more than O U P P N C o t e i . o r n S o A r g contributed, it was their desire to it had ever done before to help n c . m h a - i P P n P n I i o t n r i D support an institution of higher Florida State. This campaign, z U o s a # a t S f t a 2 t i F i t i g , 0 o learning of the caliber of FSU,” said through a lot of hard work and O e 0 n 3 h i o Nan Hillis and Bill Smith Hillis, an executive with BB&T of (Continued on page 2) 2 / February-March 2006 February-March 2006 / 3 Johnson’s achievements bespeak his maturity and dedication Suzanne Farrell recognized at the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors er who first encouraged him to “Competing for any national didates.” prominent success story to report. (Continued from page 1) By Libby Fairhurst Kennedy Center Honors, in 1978. ter his death in 1983, she continued “I’ll do that,” Trustee Dave pursue the scholarship — and then fellowship is an arduous process, In addition to Spooner, a In March 2005, FSU junior Cara FSU News and Public Affairs “I’m the beneficiary of every to perform and redefine the stan- Ford replied. To Cottle’s surprise, worked by his side for seven but the Rhodes Scholarship is par- group of 19 FSU faculty members Castellana was named a 2005 Tru- dancer who came before me,” Far- dards of his works and now is con- Ford explained that he believed the months to make sure Johnson ticularly grueling,” he said. “Gar- and administrators assisted John- man Scholar — one of the most Florida State University Pro- rell said. “That is a very wonderful sidered a leading interpreter of Bal- office to be so important to FSU’s would shine during the difficult in- rett was selected from a field of 65 son in preparing to compete for the prestigious honors an undergrad- fessor of Dance Suzanne Farrell has privilege. Getting the Kennedy anchine’s ballets for the Balanchine academic success that he would terview process. very competitive applicants from Rhodes Scholarship. Johnson ac- uate can receive. Castellana, an long been regarded as one of the Center Honor allows me to recog- Trust. In 2000, The Suzanne Farrell donate the money himself. “He was with me step by Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. knowledged several in particular economics major from Melbourne, most extraordinary and influential nize all those dancers, as well as the Ballet became a full-fledged compa- “I have felt for some time that step,” Johnson said. “He kept me His selection is a testament to his who “turned up the heat” during Fla., will receive $30,000 to study ballerinas of the late 20th century. genius of Mr. Balanchine and the ny at the Kennedy Center –– the FSU, an exceptional university, has focused and helped me prepare for tremendous work ethic and deter- the mock-interview process: Di- welfare reform at the graduate On Dec. 3 and 4 in Washington, other choreographers that I worked same year Farrell joined the FSU fac- been widely recognized as having everything. I couldn’t have done it mination. He kept himself focused anne Harrison, the university’s school of her choice. D.C., her contributions to the per- with, and to recognize my mother, ulty. superior athletics and less well rec- without him.” on the application process non- vice president for Academic Qual- “This is the equivalent of be- forming arts and American culture who believed in me, and gave up a Her artistic and academic ognized for its superior academ- Spooner was quick to shift the stop for seven months; I believe he ity and External Programs; Nancy ing a Rhodes Scholar for a junior,” were rewarded at the 2005 Kennedy lot to bring us to New York.” awards and endeavors are myriad.

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