1941

Martha Anice Sanderson (M.A. in Spanish), who was a Taylor Medalist as an Ole Miss undergraduate, has spent her career as a secondary and junior college teacher, including a stint of 40 years in Corpus Christi (Texas) area. She was honored in 1983 as one of The Most Prominent Educators in Texas. In 1996 she returned to her roots in Houston, Mississippi, where she raises flowers, attends her childhood church, coaches Spanish, and helps as needed in the local schools. She writes that it is not true that "you can't go home again" and that her greatest contribution was probably helping bridge the culture gap for the students she taught in Texas.

1950

Richard E. Whalen (M.A. in education) has held several academic posts, including superintendent of schools in Wheeler, Mississippi; a faculty position at Bradley University (Illinois); president of Black Hawk Junior College (Illinois); dean of students at New Mexico Highlands University; director of research at Long Beach, Mississippi; and consultant for the Jackson County school system. (Loscan9921@aol.com)

1957

Malcom S. Nichols (MFA) taught for 30 years at the college level and has retired in San Diego.

1959

Joe Ann Shearer Lever (M.A. Biology) is Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

1961

Nelson M. Carpenter (M.A. Theatre) is now retired after teaching at the University System of Georgia (Middle Georgia College) in the areas of Speech and Drama, He now lives in Maysville, Kentucky, where he continues to teach part-time at the local community college.

Jere Real (M.A. English) recently retired from 30 years as professor of English and film at Lynchburg, Virginia. He continues to contribute freelance articles to various publications and to exhibit watercolor paintings.

1963

Mary Payne Hairald (Master of Business Education) is a teacher and coordinator of the Mississippi Cooperative Education Program at Nettleton, Mississippi. She is the winner of many awards for excellence in teaching.

1970

Clarice Thompson Campbell (Ph.D. in history) is a 92-year-old writer who won the 1998 Mississippi Authors Award from the Mississippi Library Association for nonfiction. Campbell has moved from Tupelo to retire near her children in Palm Desert, California. Her second book, Civil Rights Chronicle: Letters from the South (University Press of Mississippi), is a narrative of her "small adventures" between 1956-1965 at Ole Miss, Tougaloo, and Rust Colleges.

1972

Larry B. Barron (MBA) is currently vice-president of sales and distribution (western region) for Navistar International Transportation Corporation. He lives in Sam Ramon, California. (Larry.Barron@navistar.com)

1975

Roy G. Keeton (M.S. Physics) spent six years in the Navy, four years in operations management of a commercial nuclear power plan, and 10 years as a nuclear power consultant before becoming a financial planner and investment advisor. He lives in Harrison, Tennessee, where he is semi-retired.

1976

Robert W. Hamblin (Ph.D. English) is director of the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University and is co-editor of A William Faulkner Encyclopedia (Greenwood Press). (Rhamblin@semovm.semo.edu)

Cora Potts Roten (M.Ed. in special education) taught learning disabled students for 27 years at Ripley Elementary School and is now retired. She has two children, Donald Perrin Rotten and Betty Roten France, who both attended Ole Miss; and a grandson, Donald Perrin Roten, Jr., who also graduated from the Oxford campus and from the The University of Mississippi Medical Center with an M.D. degree.

1978

Romell W. Barry (MPA) is currently a teacher with the Columbus Municipal School District. Previously he had worked with the Jackson Public School system and with the Mississippi Department of Rural Services. (RBarry2546@aol.com)

1979

Jane Clayton Hodges (Ed.D.) has not slowed down after her retirement from her position as director of the Mississippi University for Women’s Reading Center in 1996. She has founded a company, Literacy LLC, that produces books, including Astronauts to Zippers, that are designed to help K-3 grade children learn to read using a phonetic and multi-sensory approach. Her books are now used in several Mississippi school districts. Hodges’ motivation for this undertaking were her studies at MUW, which indicated that approximately 50 percent of youngsters incarcerated in juvenile correctional schools would not have become involved in crime if they had not been failing in school and had poor reading skills. To learn more about her company and her books and learning materials, visit web site www.TeachAnyoneToRead.com or write to Literacy LLC, 680 Rivermont Drive, Carrollton, AL 35447. (DrJane@Pickens.Net)

1980

Ajit S. Dixit (Ph.D. Chemistry) currently works for the Ecusta Division of P.H. Glatfelter Company in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. (ADixit@Glatfelter.com)

1981

Merle Temple (Master of Criminal Justice Administration) has climbed the ladder at the Bell System; he is currently district manager for corporate and external affairs for the company in Augusta, Georgia, where he serves as company spokesman and coordinates a wide range of activities. He has been recognized for his efforts on behalf of government, education, and charitable organizations.

1982

Geneva Waits England (M.Ed. in English, specialists in English) teaches English composition, literature, and creative writing at Holmes Community College. She says that after 37 years of teaching, she is "still not burned out" because of her thirst to help "anyone willing to work hard at learning". She adds that "learners have to be rewarded, and I know that I have." (Gengland@holmes.cc.ms.us)

1985

Patrick O. Smith (Ph.D. Psychology) is Associate Professor and Fellowship Director at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. (Posmith@familymed.umsmed.edu)

1987

Kenneth G. Ray (M.S. in chemistry) is QA manager for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for Pharmacia and Upjohn in Kalamazoo, Michigan. During his years as a graduate student at The University of Mississippi, he was president of the Associated Graduate Student Body when this group was first getting off the ground. (Kenneth.G.Ray@am.pnu.com)

1988

Becky Elmore (M.S. Chemistry) is an international business development manager for Hewlett Packard’s Chemical Analysis Group, where she oversees multi-national industry projects and testing equipment in the areas of environmental, forensic, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical projects. (BECKY ELMORE@HP-USA-om24.om.hp.com)

Wilda Pounds (MEd) currently teaches physical sciences and astronomy at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville. She previously taught science at Booneville High School for 15 years and then worked with the gifted and talented program at Booneville Middle School.

1989

Houston Bass IV (MBA) is a market area executive for SouthTrust Bank in Florence, Alabama. (Houston.Bass@SouthTrust.com)

1990

Richard G. Howe (M.A. Philosophy) has a completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Philosophy at the University of Arkansas. (howerg@juno.com)

John G. Richards (M.S. Engineering Science) has worked for 10 years in the Far East as a civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers. He is currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Randy M. Wadkins (Ph.D. in Chemistry) is an assistant professor of Oncology, Division of Experimental Therapeutics, at the Cancer Center of the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Previously he worked as a research associate in San Antonio, Texas.

1992

Sheb Lee True (Ph.D. in business administration) is associate professor and director of the Mexico Study Tour Program at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. He has joint academic appointments in the departments of Marketing & Professional Sales and Leadership and Professional Development. (Strue@coles2.kennesaw.edu)

1993

Nola K. Gibson (Ph.D. in Educational Leadership) is the Director of Enrichment and Special Projects at Millsaps College. (Gibsonk@topaz2.millsaps.edu)

Michelle Callaway Speas (M.S. History) now lives in Winston Salem, NC. (mspeas@oakridgemilitary.com)

1994

Cindy Harden Dugan (Master of Music Education) serves as a music appreciation teacher at Holmes Community College, Grenada Center and a classroom music teacher for grades one and two at Kirk Academy. She is also a national certified piano teacher, with a studio of 34 pupils. She lives in Grenada, Mississippi.

1995

Chuck Yarborough (M.A. in Southern studies) teaches history at the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science in Columbus. He serves on the Mississippi Humanities Council and is on the board of directors for the Mississippi Historical Society. He also published a teacher's guide for the traveling exhibit, "Crossroads of the Heart: Creativity and Tradition in Mississippi." For a free copy of this guide on the Internet, go to www.arts.ms.us/crossroads.main.html. (Cyarboro@msms.doe.k12.ms.us)

1996

Collin Billingsley (Ph.D. in educational psychology) is a psychology faculty member at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville. This past year he received the Mississippi Counseling Association Research Award. His research is in the area of attentional processing and occupational behavioral health. (Cbillin@necc.cc.ms.us)

1997

Davis Buchanan (M.A. History) is director of the Stanly County Museum in Albemarle, North Carolina.

Brendan J. Conroy (M.A. English) is a secondary school administrator at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School. She has previously served as a teacher and chair of the English department. (CONROY B@ignatius.org)

Charles S. "Ted" Olson (Ph.D. English) is an assistant professor of English at East Tennessee State University and director of that school’s Appalachian-Scottish and Irish Studies Program. His book, Blue Ridge Folklife, was published by the University Press of Mississippi.

1998

Jean Dona (Ph.D. Education) is Educational Programs Coordinator for the Community Development Commission for the County of Los Angeles, California. (Jdona@lacdc.org)

Rebecca R. Edwards (Ph.D. Chemistry) works for the Eastman Chemical Company at their Arkansas Division in Batesville. She can be contacted at Eastman Chemical Co., Arkansas Eastman Division, P.O. Box 2357, Batesville, AR 72503 (edwardsr@eastman.com)

 

2002

Nailah Isoke (M.A. Art Education) redesigned the Gradaute School's logo and also the logo of the Graduate Student Council. (Doesn't it look great?!) She may be reached through email: nail_iso_2000@yahoo.com

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