D THESewaneeNEWS Published for the Alumni and Friends of The University of the South April 1988 Trustees To Elect New Large Gift Vice-Chancellor Creates New University's The fourteenth Vice-Chancellor is Vice-Chancellor Robert M. Ayres, Jr., an- expected to be elected at the Board of Trustees nounced last June that he would be retiring on Professorship meeting May 5-6. September 1 after eleven years as Vice-Chancel- The seventeen member search committee met lor and President. A new Vice-Chancellor will several times from November to March to nar- the position at that time.Q A gift of more than $750,000 has been received row down a list of 204 nominees. Eight candi- by the University from Ogden D. Carlton II, dates were selected for interviews, which were C'32, to establish a professorship in the held during three intensive meetings of the full committee in February. Mr. Carlton, an Albany, Georgia, business From this group of top candidates, Samuel R. leader, expressed a desire that through a pro- Williamson, Jr., of the University of North Car- fessorship the University take advantage of op- olina was invited to visit the campus March 8 portunities to attract scholars of distinction to and 9. Following a very crowded schedule, Dr. the faculty. Unlike most of Sewanee's fifteen Williamson met and talked with several Univer- other professorships, the new chair is not ex- sity committees and groups, representing the pected to be held permanently within any one faculty, students, staff, and community. He and academic department. his wife were guests at a faculty reception in The first holder of the Ogden D. Carlton II Rebel's Rest. Distinguished Professorship will be appointed Mr. Williamson is currently provost, chief ac- for the 1988-89 academic year. ademic officer, and professor of history at the For many years, Mr. Carlton has demon- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He strated his love of Sewanee by becoming in- received a B.A. from Tulane in 1958, did post- volved in projects when University leaders graduate work as a Fulbright scholar at the Uni- asked for his help. He once provided funding versity of Edinburgh, and was awarded A.M. to construct a house for his favorite professor, and Ph.D degrees from Harvard. His extensive Abbott Cotten Martin. In more recent years he teaching experience includes posts at the has been a frequent member of the Chancellor's United State Military Academy, Harvard, and Society. He has been a member of the Board of other institutions, as well as UNC. He also Trustees since 1964. holds a number of directorships and trustee- As an undergraduate, when he was known ships. In addition to having written and edited as "Peck," a name friends still call him, he was books and numerous articles, principally on the active in manv student organizations from his World War I period. Professor Williamson has ATO fraternity to the Honor Council. He car- received several awards and honors. He is a na- ried his organizational skills into business in his tive of Bogalusa, Louisiana. native south Georgia. From 1936 to 1951, he Following Professor Williamson's visit, the was president of Carlton Contracting Com- search committee met at least twice to discuss pany, a highway construction firm. He ac- further action. Additional candidates may be quired the distributorship for Caterpillar invited to Sewanee. tractors which he has operated for many years Manning M. Pattillo, Jr., C'41, chairman of through the Carlton Company, with offices in the committee, said he is pleased with the Albany, Brunswick, Dublin, and Savannah. progress of the search, especially considering The firm also sells various types of engines and how much work has had to be done in talking earth moving equipment. In addition Mr. Carl- with candidates, reviewing files, and selecting ton has been an officer of several other enter- the best nominees well before the meeting of prises and institutions. the Board of Trustees. Although a strong leader, one of his class- He said the total list of nominees includes mates has described Peck as a man "modestly forty-eight presidents of other colleges and uni- cloaked in anonymity." His wide ranging inter- versities, 111 provosts, vice-presidents, deans, ests include raising Tennessee walking horses and professors; and a large number of lawyers, and hunting. He and his wife, Kathleen, have clergy, and business executives, three daughters. The Sewanee News countries, but on the rest of the world as well. Chinese In addition to his lecture, he met with Yanjun News in Brief Wei, a visiting student from China who is at- Ambassador tending the College on the Clement Chen Scholarship. Strategic Vision Ambassador Han, ambassador to the United In his address at Opening Convocation January States since 1985, was responding to an invita- at Sewanee 19, Vice-Chancellor Ayres gave the traditonal Clement Chen, C'53, a San Francisco tion from welcome to students and faculty, then spoke in architect University trustee, who came to The ambassador to the United States from the and particular about the University's Strategic Plan. United States from China to study at Sewa- Peoples Republic of China (mainland), was the the He noted the central importance of the Epis- in 1949. guest of the University on February 23. nee copal Church in the life of the University and, occasion of the ambassador's visit was As a part of his visit, he presented a lecture The therefore, in the basic assumptions of the Stra- marred by the death of Mr. Chen four days ear- on Sino-American relations. He described the tegic Plan. He also said the plan builds upon lier. (See death notice in this issue.) A memorial rebirth of relations between the United States the strengths and traditions of the University for Mr. Chen was held in All Saint's and China as one of the most important inter- service while providing a strategy for progress. the past two decades, Chapel, with the ambassador and members of national developments in Major priorities of the plan are to increase impact on the two the Board of Regents in attendance. not only for its profound student financial aid, improve faculty develop- ment and compensation, and improve facilities. Mr. Ayres said the proposed increase of the student body to 1300 is appropriate and in keeping with increases of the past. "Only when adequate facilities and faculty are in place will the student body be in- creased," the Vice-Chancellor said. He said substantial sums of money will be needed to fund the goals of the Strategic Plan. Mr. Ayres called attention to the success of the $50-million Century II campaign and said com- mitments will be needed once more from the entire Sewanee family. While noting that his own term as Vice- Chancellor is drawing to an end, Mr. Ayres ex- pressed his confidence in the future and mis- sion of the University. SSMC in Thirty-Second Season The thirty-second season of the Sewanee Sum- mer Music Center will open June 25 and con- tinue through July 31. The center annually hosts students of instrumental music on cam- pus to study and perform with leading national and international artist-teachers from leading Vice-Chancellor Robert M. Ayres. ]r.. center, greets Ambassador Han Xu. right, of the Peoples Republic of China, during the visit of the ambassador to the Unwcrsityin February. At the Vice-Chancellor's right is Yanjun Wei, a visiting student from'Chtna who is attending schools of music and orchestras. Sewanee cm the Clement Chen Scholarship. During the five-week program, more than thirty performances of chamber and orchestral music, many featuring internationally recog- nized guest artists and conductors, will be The Van Ness Keyboard Collection, estab- held. In addition, the Center will host the sec- Admiral Pihl lished with a $100,000 gift from Admiral Pihl, ond international carillon workshop July 14-17. consists of two seven-foot Steinway grand pi- Gift Assures anos, two six-foot Steinway pianos, a two-man- ual French-style harpsichord, a modern copy of PB Visit a Viennese Fortepiano, and a tracker-action Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning, C'52, Recital Hall chamber organ- T'54, led a day-long retreat February 17 in Se- "Admiral Pihl's gifts have already made an wanee as a guest of the School of Theology. The Retired Rear Admiral Paul E. Pihl of Charles- enormous difference in our program," Steven bishop also preached at the Ash Wednesday ton, South Carolina, has made a gift of Shrader, chairman of the Music Department, service in All Saints' Chapel. $250,000 to establish the Van Ness Recital Hall said. "Our keyboard resources are now on a in memory of his wife, Dorothy Van Ness Pihl. plane with the very best schools of our size, The recital hall will be part of a new perform- and we are eagerly looking forward to using Mediaeval Colloquium ing arts facility recommended in the Universi- the Van Ness Recital Hall." The fifteenth annual Sewanee Mediaeval Collo- ty's campus plan. The recital hall, in Shrader' s estimations, will quium will be held April 8-9, with the theme of Admiral Pihl's gift for the recital hall will re- seat approximately 200 persons and be avail- Monks, Nuns, and Friars in Mediaeval Society. Lec- store the name of Van Ness to Sewanee and able for recitals by both students and faculty turers for this year's colloquium are Servus Gie- create a home for the Van Ness Keyboard Col- members, as well as for chamber music and Se- ben, O.F.M.