The Magazine of Rhodes College • Fall 2010 RHODES FELLOWSHIPS The New Big Thing FALL 2010 Contents VOLUME 17 • NUMBER 3 2 Remembering David Alexander A tribute to Rhodes’ 16th president 4 Providing the Catalyst for Change A brief history of student research opportunities 6 Stepping Stones and Capstones 2 Student fellowships—the new big thing 16 Robust Rhodes The college welcomes outstanding new faculty 25 A New Way To Play Students fi nd plenty of fun in The Big Diehl 28 A Great Day for Rhodes Newsweek names Rhodes Most Service-Minded School in America 6 29 Alumni News Class Notes, In Memoriam The 2009-2010 Honor Roll of Donors On the Cover Rhodes Fellow Lee Bryant ’11 is making a documentary about McCoy Theatre’s 30 years. (See story on page 6.) Photography by Jay Adkins 28 is published three times a year by Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 as a service to all alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the college. Fall 2010—Volume 17, Number 3 EDITOR Martha Hunter Shepard ’66 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Larry Ahokas Robert Shatzer CONTRIBUTORS Jay Adkins, Justin Fox Burks, Daney Daniel Kepple, Emily Sullivan ’13 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Please address postal correspondence to: Martha H. Shepard, Editor, Rhodes Magazine, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (901) 843-3544 Fax: (901) 843-3579 CLASS NOTES: Please send all Class Notes including marriages, births and obituaries to: Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Phone: (901) 843-3845 Fax: (901) 843-3947 E-mail: [email protected] RHODES ALUMNI OFFICE: 1 (800) 264-LYNX RHODES ADMISSIONS OFFICE: 1 (800) 844-LYNX POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: RHODES, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please mail the completed form below and label from this issue of RHODES to: Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Visit rhodes.edu/news for the latest stories and Name features about people, events and magazine web-only content: Street • Video and photo gallery of Rhodes’ celebration of being named City State Zip Newsweek’s Most Service-Minded School in America Home Phone Business Phone • Video of Kappa Delta All-Sing 2010 E-mail • In Print—new books by faculty and alumni Employer Title Remembering David Alexander ’53 16th President of Rhodes College 1965-69 By Martha Hunter Shepard ’66 ohn David Alexander ’53 of Seminary, Alexander was named Claremont, CA, the 16th president of Rhodes College. Jpresident of Rhodes College who served from 1965-69, passed Rhodes bestowed on Alexander away Sunday, July 25, 2010. He was an honorary Doctor of Letters 77. He was the only alumnus then degree in 1986, and in 2004, he to serve as Rhodes president, and at was the subject of a Rhodes Faculty age 33, one of the youngest sitting Portrait, which today resides in the presidents of an American college. Hill Board Room. In addition, he held honorary degrees from the In 1969 Alexander was called to University of Southern California, become the seventh president of As president of Rhodes Occidental College, Centre College, Pomona College, serving from Loyola Marymount University and 1969-1991. The year after his in Greek. A classicist with a deep Pomona College. retirement, Pomona named its new interest in theological history, he administration building the David went on to study at Louisville Current Rhodes College President Alexander Hall for Administration Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Bill Troutt was a longtime admirer in his honor. A 1954 Rhodes Scholar, he earned of Alexander, having issued an a D.Phil. in Theology from Oxford invitation to him to speak at his Born in Springfi eld, TN, in 1932, University (Christ Church) in 1957. high school graduation, which he graduated from Rhodes in In 1965, after teaching for eight Alexander accepted, and in 2001, 1953, Phi Beta Kappa with honors years at San Francisco Theological arranging a joint retreat for the { 2 } F A L L 2 0 1 0 • R H O D E S rhodes.edu Rhodes Board of Trustees and JUSTIN FOX BURKS Pomona offi cials at Pomona “to discuss the essentials of a liberal education at its very best,” Troutt said at the time. “David Alexander was recognized around the globe for his contributions to higher education,” says Troutt. “He was an outstanding college administrator and friend.” From 1981 to 1998, Alexander served as American Secretary of the Rhodes Scholarship Trust, and from that position oversaw the selection every year of the 32 Americans chosen to study at Oxford. He was the author of “The American Scholarships” in The History of the Rhodes Trust (OUP, 2001) and served as editor of the American Oxonian, the magazine of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars. In 1998 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2000, named a Distinguished Friend of Oxford University. Alexander was a trustee of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) from David ’53 and Catharine Alexander ’56 with his faculty portrait at Homecoming/Reunion Weekend 2004 1970-2002 and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship American Friends of the National Alexander, Oliver and Theodora Foundation from 1978-99, and Portrait Gallery in London. In Shirley; and Jack and Beatrice was on the Board of Overseers 2006, he was elected a fellow of Marciari; a sister, Jane Alexander of the Huntington Library, Art the American Academy of Arts and Biedenharn ’59 and brother-in-law Collections and Botanical Gardens Sciences. John Ursary Biedenharn ’58 of Vero from 1991-2010. He was a director Beach, FL. of KCET, the Seaver Institute President Alexander leaves his wife, and the National Association Catharine Coleman Alexander Several members of Catharine’s of Independent Colleges and ’56 of Claremont; two daughters, family attended Rhodes, including Universities. He also served as a Catharine M. Alexander Shirley her mother, Janie Cobb Coleman ’29, trustee of the American Council on of Larchmont, NY, and Julia M. sister Mary Jane Coleman Gentry Education and the Fellows of the Marciari-Alexander of San Diego; ’61, sister-in-law Sally Cross Coleman Society of Phi Beta Kappa. From a son, John D. Alexander III of ’61 and nephew Thomas Cross 2004, he served as president of the Oakdale, CT; fi ve grandchildren, Coleman ’88, all of Memphis. rhodes.edu F A L L 2 0 1 0 • R H O D E S { 3 } KEVIN BARRÉ Providing the Catalyst for Change By Daney Daniel Kepple Some members of the inaugural Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music: Chris Ebersole ’04, Teresa Clower ’04, Lindsey Seifert Hammond ’04, Meg Chambers Campbell ’04 and Logan Stevens ’04 { 4 } F A L L 2 0 1 0 • R H O D E S rhodes.edu enture capitalists and “We had the St. Jude Summer Plus “It was exciting to watch the campus philanthropists have two program up and running but had come together to bring these V characteristics in common: exhausted its initial funding,” recalls three distinct programs into sync,” Both are interested in return on Robert Strandburg, associate dean of Strandburg says. “It was fun to watch investment and both do careful academic affairs for curriculum. “We it jell,” he adds, referring to the research. There the similarities end. had Bonner Scholars who needed continuation of the St. Jude Summer While the former are willing to summer service opportunities. And Plus program and the emergence of take large risks in hopes of a higher History professor Tim Huebner the Rhodes Institute for Regional return, the latter like to place their had a fantastic idea for providing Studies and the Summer Service money on sure, or at least safe, bets. students with stipends for doing Fellows (see sidebar on page 14). research on Memphis and the Mid- In 2001, when the Robert and South during the summer. What we Apparently the Priddys agreed. Ruby Priddy Charitable Trust didn’t have was money.” They awarded almost $6 million to went shopping for opportunities fund the three fellowship programs. to enhance the quality of liberal The initial question was: How to Three years later they requested a arts education in the South and tie together three such disparate proposal from the same group of Southwest, they painstakingly programs into one proposal? The colleges to foster leadership in the selected 18 outstanding institutions answer quickly emerged: All the arts. Rhodes proposed the CODA and asked their presidents for their programs allowed students to program (the Center for Outreach thoughts on the major challenges utilize their classroom knowledge in in the Development of the Arts) facing liberal arts colleges in the practical applications in Memphis. and received a similar amount of next decade. Then they whittled It was the perfect answer to the funding. the list down to six and asked them student engagement imperative of for proposals. Rhodes made the cut, the Rhodes Vision, “To enhance Today many alumni, parents, and the timing could not have been student opportunities for learning trustees and foundations have better. in Memphis.” funded fellowship opportunities for students and they, along with JUSTIN FOX BURKS the original four programs, are the cornerstone of the fellowships initiative that distinguishes Rhodes’ approach to experiential education from every other college. As Strandburg phrases it, “The Priddy grant was the catalyst.” You, too, can provide a catalyst. Another Rhodes benefactor, the late Mertie Buckman, was fond of saying, “Everyone can be a philanthropist. You don’t have to give a million dollars to make a difference.” Perhaps not everyone who loves this college can have the impact of a Priddy or a Buckman, but Mrs.