Simpson Magazine
Winter 1990
Presidential Comments p. 2
Science Education a Simpson Priority
By Dr. Stephen G. Jennings
Simpson Briefly
Cowles Fellows Named -- Five
Enrollment Hits All-Time High --Jerry Israel, academic dean at Simpson tells of the large increase in students in the fall of 1989. P. 4
High Rate of Students Accepted at Med Schools -- Dr. Joe Moody tells of the reason why so many Simpson students are accepted into medical school. P. 4
Dr. Norman Thomas to Retire -- Dr. Norman Thomas, professor of philosophy will retire at the end of the 1989-1990 academic year. P. 4
Herny Gift is Simpson’s Largest – Simpson received a gift of $1.4 mission from the estate of Helen Harp Herny. P. 5
Pote Gift Announced – Harold F. Pote left his estate, totaling over $970,000 to
U.S. News & World Report Sees Simpson ‘On the Rise’ – The U.S. News and World Report found Simpson to be one of the country’s “up-and-coming schools” and Dr. Stephen Jennings, president of Simpson comments. P. 5
Simpson Magazine Introduced – The former “The Alumnus” is now titled the “Simpson Magazine.” By Michael Adams, editor. P. 5
Endowed Scholarships Established – Simpson Guild gave $10,000 to establish the Simpson Guild Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Lena
Delta Delta Delta has established a Delta chapter of Delta Delta Delta Centennial Endowed Scholarship Find with a gift of $10,000 to
Leon Fisk established the Frances Pauline Doft Endowed Scholarship fund at Simpson with a gift of $10,000. Doft had created the Floyd S. Doft Endowed Scholarship in memory of her husband.
M.W. “Bill” Proudfoot and his wife Marjorie Dalby Proudfoot gave Simpson a gift valued greater than $80,000.
Marjorie Craig Young established the
Students Receive Indianola/Simpson Memorial Grants – Rick Demory, Tina Downey and Jeri Shutt all received the Simpson Memorial Grant in 1989-1990. P. 6
Simpson Chosen for Sears Award – The Sears-Roebuch Foundation awarded Simpson the “Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award Program.” P. 7
Grover Receives NCAA Award – Ian Grover was awarded, by the NCAA, $4,000 for postgraduate study at the school of his choice. P. 7
Science Faculty Awarded Research Grant – The Research Corporation awarded Simpson a Flora Hewlett Foundation grant worth $30,000. Dr. Pat Singer and Dr. Ron Warnet both comment. P. 7
Boomerang Students Return to Simpson p. 8-9
By Lisa Green
Paul Zastrow, Dan Wilcox, Julie Baker and Vickie Belcher all left Simpson for an amount of time and then chose to return to Simpson to finish their education.
Lou Mei-Ying Touched by Simpson Experience p. 9
By Kathy Rundle
Lou Mei-Ying taught Chinese language and culture at Simpson for the 1989-1990 academic year. Miriam Jenkins, registrar and assistant professor of English at Simpson will travel to
Kuwait is Home for Simpson Grad p. 10
By Lisa Green
Cathy Hillman, 1980 grad of Simpson is now teaching kindergarten at the
Simpson Bonds with
Dr. Stephen Jennings met with Booker T. Washington on the
Sports at Simpson p. 12
Football – The Simpson Redmen, under the coaching of Jim Williams, is headed for its second straight NCAA Division III playoffs.
Women’s Cross Country – The women won their 3rd conference title in 4 years in 1989. Sarah Cross won the Iowa Conference Individual and she was Simpson’s first woman to be All-American. Coach Jerry Fitzsimmons comments on the ladies performance.
Men’s Cross Country – Keith Ellingson, coached the men into a 4th place finish in the Iowa Conference. Dave Halferty and Steve Fairbairn both were All-Conference runners.
Women’s Golf – Coach Bob Darrah lead the women to a 6th place in the Conference Championships. Rita Doane, was a 1988 national qualifier.
Women’s Tennis – Coach Dick Starr lead the women to a 5th place finish in the
Homecoming 1989 p. 14
300 Alumni returned to Simpson for Homecoming. The Redmen defeated the Eagles 56-12.
Simpson’s Dunn Library celebrated its 25th Anniversary. At the celebration banquet, Hout R. Galvin, class of ’32, spoke.
The women of Delta Delta Delta won the traditional Tomahawk Award.
‘Names that Live at Simpson’ Nominations Finalized – Distinguished Alumni nominations were: Robert w. Bates, Frances Leslie Dawson, Gerald L. Downie, E. Kingman Eberhart, Lyle A. Weed. The Distinguished faculty nominations were: Herbert Alberding, Ethel D. Anderson, Charles N. Burrows,
1989 Athletic Award Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees Announced p. 16
George D. Woolson and Perry L. Wilkins were awarded the Double S Award.
Dr. Joe Moody was awarded the Dick Buxton Award.
Rex Van Buskirk was awarded the E.G. Booth Award.
David M. Keller and Tomas L. Simmons were both inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Lynn Schull received a $4,000 scholarship from the NCAA.
Kip Janvrin won 5 NCAA championships and he was Olympic Sports Festival Champion in
Championship Football Teams Return to Simpson p. 17
Members of Simpson’s championship football teams met in a special reunion during Homecoming. Those attending included H.T. Fawcett, Charles “Chic” McCoy, D. Russell McCarthy, George Woolson, Chet Wallace, John McFarland, L. Raymond Anderson, Paul Eggers, Everett Hidlebaugh John Mille, Norman Miller, Cecil Rhoads, Dick Kintner, Jim Wright, Rich Clogg, Tom DeSio, Mike Norton, Phil Wooderson, Bill Thompson, Tim Irving, Roger Overman, Tom Simmons, Chris Creason, Jim Kelly, Jymm Oplt, Tom Powell, John Sullivan, Coach Roger Thompson, Perry Hunter, David Walford, Don Zahs, Jim Cavanaugh and Mark Roberts.
Eleven to Receive Alumni Awards p. 18-21
Richard M. Cohen. Robert W. McGee, Margie Wells-Davis and David D. Orr all received an Alumni Achievement Award.
David B. Starr received a Young Alumni Achievement Award.
Phyllis Williams Pemble, Jane Johnson Pooley and Vernon H. Pooley all received the Alumni Loyalty Award.
Dr. John D. Hines received the Young Alumni Loyalty Award.
Carol Worlan Young and B. Wayne Kong both received the Humanitarian Service Award.
Head Earns Top
Tom Head earned the highest Iowan score and the 2nd highest score in the nation on the Certified Public Accountant exam.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1990
Presidential Comments p. 2
By Stephen G. Jennings
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Buxton Family Donates Miller Painting to Simpson – Bill and Betty Buxton donated a Richard E. Miller painting, worth over $200,000 to
Sayre Gift to Fund Library Acquisitions – Alice Sayre gave $150,000 to Simpson to establish the Alice E. Sayre Library Acquisitions Fund.
50-Year Class Endowment Established – The Simpson Alumni from the class of 1940 have “inaugurated the Golden Anniversary Class Endowment Program.” Dr. Elmo V. Barnum and Miss Bernita Barnum offered a $10,000 challenge grant encouraging other graduates of 194 to give.
Former Stock Exchange CEO Visits Simpson – Paul Kolten visited Simpson as part of the Woodrow Wilson visiting Fellows Program in March.
Dr. Mitch Kalpagian to leave Simpson – Kalpagian accepted a position at
Simpson Theme Houses: Alternative Living p. 6-7
By Lisa Green
Green covers the alternative housing on campus, called Theme Houses. She interviews many students on their views supporting these houses and she tells of the changes made within the theme houses for next year.
Heightening Art’s Presence at Simpson. P. 8- 9
By Michael Adams
Dr. Janet Heinicke has improved the art department greatly since her arrival on campus. She oversees 15 art majors and is the sole leader of the art department.
Carver Centennial Year Begins with Payton Lecture p. 10-11
Dr. Louis Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Payton visited Simpson’s campus to deliver the George Washington Carver Lecture in February, in honor of Carver.
Dr. Louis Sullivan to Visit Simpson As 1990 Commencement Speaker p. 11
Dr. Louis Sullivan, who works as
Sports p. 12-13
Wrestling – Simpson placed as runner-up in the 1990 Iowa Conference Wrestling Tournament. Two Simpson wrestlers, Young and Ridout, earned All-American.
Women’s Basketball – Coach Brian Neimuth lead the ladies into a winning season of 18-7 and a fourth place finish in the Iowa Conference.
Men’s Indoor Track – Simpson won the Iowa Small College Indoor State Championship Title in 1990.
Men’s Basketball – The team placed 4th in the
Women’s Indoor Track – The women won their 4th consecutive
Women’s volleyball – Coach Shelly Scott is pretty proud of her team, as they’ve won their second IIAC conference title in 3 years.
Kappa Kappa Gamma Returns to Simpson p. 14
KKG returns to Simpson after a 100-year absence. The chapter, Omicron Deteron, is the sororities 120th chapter and the ladies plan to help the sorority to gain strength on the campus.
Trustee and Long-Time Simpson Supporter Al Jordan ’26 Dies in
Alvin L. Jordan died April 11, 1990 in
Music Department Featured I New Evelyn Lear Master Class Recording
The music department of Simpson featured a famous soprano, Evelyn Lear, in a master class on January 12.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1990
Presidential Comments
The Many Facets of a Simpson Commencement
Dr. Stephen Jennings
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Amy Robertson Cited by State Historical Society – Dr. Amy Robertson has been awarded a prestigious Peterson Harlan Award for 1990 by the State Historical Society of Iowa.
Dean Israel to Attend Administrators Program at Harvard – Jerry Israel has been selected as one of 95 worldwide participants to attend an Institute for Educational Management at Harvard this summer.
Alpha Chi Round-Robin Letter Hits 50-Year Mark -- 9 graduates of Simpson and members of Alpha Chi have stayed in contact for 50 years by writing “round-robin” letters.
Gartner Gift to Endow Periodicals – Michel Gartner, president of NBC has given $100,000 to fund the Carl and Margie Gartner Endowed Fund for Periodicals at Simpson.
Betsworth’s Book on Moral Traditions Published – Dr. Roger G. Betsworth published a book on Social Ethics this past spring.
Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honorary Established at Simpson – Simpson has installed a new chapter of a national leadership recognition society on campus.
Juggling Motherhood, Job and Simpson p. 6-7, 16
By Chris Coon
Maria Davitt is a single mother, full-time worker and an adult student at
DHHS Head Sullivan, Three Generations and Disney Make Commencement 1990 Anything But Dull. P. 8-9
Commencement is quite popular this year, with big names such as Dr. Louis Sullivan and Disney visiting Simpson. Sullivan came to campus to speak at Commencement while Disney came to record the graduation of three generations of one family from Simpson.
Sports p. 10-11
Women’s Track – The women won their 3rd consecutive Iowa Conference track title this year. Also, the women’s 4x400 meter relay team won a national title with runners Ashbacher, Hudek, Sheda and Everson.
Men’s Tennis – The Redmen finished fifth in the Iowa Conference Tournament this year.
Men’s golf – Coach Wilson lead the young team to a seventh place finish in the IIAC conference.
Baseball – The baseball team won their first NCAA Division III play-off berth after finishing with the best record in school history of 29-7. The team also took a spring break trip to
Men’s Track – At the NCAA Division III Out door Championships, the team finished 16th. 8 of the athletes earned All-American Honors as the team set two school records.
Softball – The team won their 2nd straight NCAA Division III play-off berth and they placed third in the
Alumni Weekend p. 12-13
Approximately 400 alumni returned to Simpson in June for this weekend.
Names that Live Unveiled alumni Weekend p. 17
New Names were added to the Honor Roll of the Names That Live at Simpson on June 16th. Robert W. Bates and Frances Ledlie Dawson were both named Distinguished Alumni. Honored Benefactors were Helen harp Herny, Harold and Nellaby Finney Pote, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. and Robert F. Picken. Charles N. Birrws and Helen Manley Malone Mullin were named Distinguished Faculty.
New Alumni Officers Announced p. 17
New Alumni Officers were recognized at the Alumni weekend, also.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1991
Presidential Comments p. 2
Why Do Students Stay at Simpson?
Dr. Stephen Jennings
Simpson Briefly p. 4-7
Another Record Enrollment for Simpson – 285 new students make a new enrollment record for Simpson.
Students Visit Australia to Study Aborigines – Jim and Suzy Benjamin, two continuing education students at Simpson, headed to
Hillmann leaves
May Term Trip to Central America Planned; Mueller, Warnet to Lead – Marilyn Mueller and Ron Warnet are leading a 12-day May Term trip to Guatemala and El Salvador to explore the causes of poverty and injustice in these two countries.
Walking Tour of Carver Sites Published – a 30-page tour guide of 9 George Washington Carver-related sites in Indianola was published by the Warren County Historical Society.
Species named After Simpson Faculty Member – Cathy Baker, assistant professor of earth science, previously collaborated with John Malinky, whom has now named a species of the molluscan family Hyolithidae from the Ordovician Period of North America.
Sabbatical Insights: Christians in Japan Wield Strong Influence on Culture – Dr. Ev Laning, along with his wife, to a sabbatical in
Committee Formed to Study International Travel – A new committee has been started to study the international programs and set goals for oversees studies. The committee was appointed by President Stephen Jennings and chaired by Jill Rossiter.
Simpson Music Receives Excellence Award – Simpson was one of six schools to receive an award from the National Association Teachers of Singing this year.
As Convocation Pinch-Hitter, Appiah challenges Students to Confront Bigotry, Intolerance – Dr. Anthony Appiah spoke at fall convocation about George Washington Carver, cultural diversity and tolerance.
Alpha Phi Omega Service Organization Reactivated at Simpson – After an absence of 15 years, this service organization was reinstated at Simpson this fall.
Mariam Jenkins: Touched by
By Lisa Green
Marian Jenkins, Simpson’s registrar and assistant professor of English spent 6 months in
Simpson Singers Achieving National Success p. 9
Simpson graduates Kimm Julian, Brad Cresswell, Beverly Thiele and Rose Bollin are all having success in the opera industry.
By Chis Coon
David Orr, Mary Catlett and Ramona Austin are all having success with their careers in
Sports p. 14-17
Women’s Golf – The ladies repeated the 6th place finish of one year ago at the
Women’s Tennis – The team finished fifth overall, lead by Coach Dick Starr.
Football – The team ended with a 6-2 record in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Men’s Cross Country – The team finished their season with the Central Regional Championships, in which they placed 12th.
Volleyball – The Lady Reds became the first Division III volleyball team in
Sports Awards Announced Homecoming Weekend – Simpson alumni receive awards and are inducted into Hall of Fame
Women’s Cross Country Team Finishes Fourth at Nationals – The Lady Reds became the very first All-American team for Simpson by finishing 4th in the NCAA III Championships.
Alumni Awards Announced p. 18-20
Mary Rose Main Sumner Morris, Mildred Romedahl Steele, Max E. Whitlock, Sara L. Maltby, James R. Oplt, Diane Kurtzhalts Powell and William V. Graff all received alumni awards.
Homecoming 1990: A reminder of times past p. 21-22
With the homecoming theme as “Flashback,” many alumni and students are reminiscing about times past.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1991
Presidential Comments
Simpson’s Campaign is on Track
Dr. Stephen Jennings
Simpson Briefly
CASE Awards for Simpson Publications – The Simpson PR Staff won 7 awards in the CASE District VI Awards competition.
Chemistry Department chosen as Test Site for New Text – A test called, “Chemistry in Context” will begin on Simpson’s campus this spring.
Lehmann Donates Valuable Potter to Simpson – Mrs. Margaret Lehmann donated a 25-piece collection of Etruscan pottery dating from the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. valued at $26,000 to Simpson.
Senior Colloquium Lecturer Christopher Lasch Details the Decline of Liberalism – Christopher Lasch, a preeminent cultural historian in
Faculty Adds Foreign Language, Global Awareness – Jerry Isreal tells of the addition of a language requirement for incoming freshmen and a required Global Awareness May Term Class.
Joe Walt: Putting the Finishing Touches on Simpson History p.6-7
By Connie Nordstrom
Joe Walt spends his days in the library compiling the history of
‘The Civil War’ garners for Don Gibsom and the National Endowment for the Humanities the best kind of Attention p. 8-9
By Chris Coon
Donald Gibson, a Simpson graduate is the director of the Division of Public Programs for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Dream Realized for Soviet Students p. 10
Sasha Plokhov and Gena Zubov realized their dream of coming to
‘Boy Carver’ Story is Labyrinthine Tale p. 11
The third of the “Boy Carver” sculptures is placed at
Enthusiasm viewed as Key to Area Campaigns p. 12
Fundraising begins to develop for proposed new science building on Simpson’s campus.
Brokaw Will Address 1991 Grads p. 13
NBC’s anchor, managing editor and chief of correspondents, Tom Brokaw will speak at Commencement.
Sports p. 14-15
Women’s Basketball – The ladies finished out their season with a final record of 14-12 and 9-7 in the IIAC.
Men’s Basketball – The final score of the Redmen was 17-9 and 11-5 in the IIAC.
Men’s Outdoor Track – Coach Keith Ellingson lead the team to a prosperous year with 22 athletes qualifying for the state championship.
Women’s Indoor Track – The Lady Reds won the Indoor Track Championship for the 5th year in a row.
Simpson Wrestlers Win Conference Title – Darrah named ‘Coach of the Year’ -- Bob Darrah lead the Simpson wrestlers to win the Iowa Conference Championship and 7 wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1991
Presidential Comments p. 2
A Presidential Commencement: Looking Back at four Years; Looking Ahead to a Promising Future
Dr. Stephen Jennings
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Simpson Students Receive Younkers Scholarships – Shae Gorman and Hilary Hanson are both tailoring their programs around retail management and they both were awarded a scholarship from Younkers.
Reds Hold tryouts at Simpson – The Cincinnati Reds organization used Simpson’s facilities for tryouts in June.
Simpson Goes Batty – Dr. Bill Gilbert, environmental science professor lead students in the Environmental Club and Beta Beta Beta to make and hang bat houses in the trees on campus.
Simpson to Join British Consortium – In 1992, Simpson plans to join the British Consortium which sends both students and faculty overseas to learn together.
McNeill Faculty Awards Presented – Three faculty members received awards. These three are: Dr. Bill Friedricks, Dr. Cathy Baker and Dr. Alan Magruder.
Exploring women’s Role in a World of Hate p. 6-7
By Lia Unrau
Kate Joeckel has been studying white supremacy groups and women’s studies by contacting members of the groups herself.
By Michael Adams
Marilyn Mueller and Dr. Ron Warnet led an eye opening May Term trip to Guatemala & El Salvador.
Commencement 1991: Tom Brokaw Recalls Years in Iowa, Urges Personal Commitment to Nation’s Needs p, 12-13
Brokaw outlined areas where he thought personal commitments cold be made by students as: preserving the environment, seeking shelter for the homeless and nurturing the community and family.
Alumni Weekend 1991 p. 14-18
Over 400 alumni returned to Simpson to reminisce in June.
Sports
Men’s Golf – Simpson earned a 6th place finish at the IIAC Men’s Golf tournament this year with a team total of 1,339.
Men’s Tennis – The men finished with a strong 4th place at the IIAC championships.
Softball – Three Lady Reds were names IIAS first team players Beth Harris, Traci Frasher, and Nikki Pena. The team attended nationals and they also placed 3rd in the conference.
Women’s Track -- The women won their 4th straight conference this year.
Baseball Team Wins Conference, Region; Advances to Division III World Series – The Redmen won the IIAC conference title this ear with a 14-1 record and they also advanced to the regional playoffs.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1992
Presidential comments p. 2
Funding Higher Education: Unanswered Questions
Dr. Stephen Jennings
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Richard Pipes for McBride Lecture: A post-coup coup – Richard Pipes, Frank B. Baird Professor of history at Harvard will be this year’s McBride Lecturer.
Simpson Cited U.S. News and World Report -- Simpson was cited as “up and coming” in the U.S. News and World Report.
Simpson’s Kresge Grant is
Quinnett Overcomes Obstacles to Win Statewide Adult Learner Award – Pat Quinnett was names Outstanding Adult Learned in
Morgan Joins Staff as New Chaplain – Rev. Michael Morgan joined the Simpson staff October 15 as college chaplain and director of church relations.
A League of His Own: Simpson Alumnus Jeff Cronin Works the
By Chris Coon
Jeff Cronin has a busy life playing baseball, but he hopes that one day he will make it to “The Show.” The article contains a journal of a few days of his life on the road.
Tuskegee Exchange has Impressive Start p. 10
Dr. Denise-Margaret Thomson, assistant professor of engineering and business at
Neighboring on the Air p. 11
By Chris Coon
Evelyn Birkby is a popular homemaker. She has authored 5 books, appeared on ABC’s “World News Tonight,” “CBS This Morning”, “Night Watch,” and many other radio shows.
Homecoming 1991 p. 12-13
Float building was added to the fun of homecoming this year, with many housing units participating.
Seeing Medicine Through Fresh Eyes p. 14
Cara Peterson job shadowed Dr. Raymond Schulte, M.D., through May Term to get an accurate view of what her future as a medical student may hold.
Sports
Football – Simpson won conference crown with record of 10-0.
Men’s Cross Country – The Redmen finished 5th in the Iowa Conference after being ranked in the top 25 of the NCAA Cross Country Poll for four straight weeks.
Women’s Cross Country – The women placed 3rd in the Iowa Conference after having won the three previous titles. Simpson has won four of the last six titles and is the most wins in a women’s cross country program in the history of the IACC.
Women’s Tennis – The 1991 Simpson team finished its season by placing fifth at the Iowa Conference Tournament
Women’s Golf – The women qualified for the Division III Championships and they placed third overall in the Small College Midwest Championships.
Volleyball – The women won their third straight conference title this year
Thomas Appointed to
Dr. Thomas Hensley Wins Professor of the Year Award – Dr. Thomas R. Hensley 65 was named Ohio Professor of the Year by the council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1992
Presidential Comments p. 2
The Reasons for Changing the Redmen Nickname.
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Simpson Nabs Third in
CASE Awards Garnered -- Simpson won three awards in the 1991 Awards competition sponsored by District VI of CASE.
New Enzyme Discovered at Simpson; Students on Cutting Edge of Research – Drs. Pat Singer and Ron Warnet, along with a group of student assistants, discovered a new enzyme called a Peroxidase.
Joeckel wins National Teaching Award – Dr. Kate Joeckel won the 1992 Outstanding Young Teacher Award from the Central States Communication Association recently.
Simpson Receives Internal Auditing Grant – The Iowa chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors has awarded Simpson College a $100 grant for internal audit education, the first on of its kind in Iowa.
M1 – p. 6-9
Tammy Schumacher ’91 is a first year medical student at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She is carrying a lot of pressure as she struggles through her first year.
Building a Working Definition of Life – p. 10-11
Brian Thomas spent two years in
Choosing the Right Note – p. 12
By Lia Unrau
Albrecht looks forward and stays active. These are the keys to his success.
The
By Chris Coon
Jeff Holmes ’89 is in his fourth year as editor and publisher of Canoeing Iowa, a magazine he created in 1988.
Simpson’s Role Playing Diplomats – p. 14
15 Simpson students participated in the Midwe4st region Model United Nations this year.
Bishop Reuben Job to Deliver Commencement Address – p. 14
Iowa United Methodist Church Bishop, Rueben P. Job, gave his remarks to the graduating class of 1992.
The Simp Comes of Age – p. 15
With a new advisor and editor, the Simpsonian has progressed to an award winning newspaper.
Simpson Initiates New Exchange with Wiley College – p. 15
Simpson is experimenting with an exchange program with
Sports at Simpson – 16-17
Men’s Track – The men set 3 new school records this year.
Women’s Track – The women won the 1992
Men’s Basketball – The men won the Iowa Conference for the first time in 50 years.
Women’s Basketball – The women won third place I the
Wrestling – The squad won third place in the Iowa Conference.
Simpson Trustee Memorializes Daughter – p. 18
Gene and Eleanor Smith have helped to build the Sana Kay Danielson Memorial Chapel at The Village in honor of their daughter who recently passed away of cancer.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1992
Presidential Comments p. 2
Our ties to church remain strong
Friend, Benefactor, Trustee Amy Robertson Dies – p. 4
Amy Robertson, long time friend of Simpson, passed sway in May. She established a charitable remainder trust totaling $10 million and named Simpson as the sole beneficiary.
Simpson Briefly – p. 5
Simpson among most competitive in Peterson’s guide – Simpson was rated among the top 10% of national colleges featured in the 1992-1993 Peterson’s Competitive Colleges.
Class of 92 Gives Native American Art – the class of 92 chose to commission a painting or purchase artwork by a Native American artist.
Mellecker receives NCAA scholarship – Melissa Sue Mellecker has been awarded a $5,000 scholarship to study at the university or professional school of her choice,
Minority retention grant sought – Simpson is applying for a Lily Endowment, Inc. grant of up to $150,000 that would be awarded over a three-year period.
Carver Trust Interested in Carver Science Hall – Simpson received a $138,500 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase equipment for the new Carver Science Hall.
A Gift of Art – p.6-9
A 1912 oil painting given to Simpson by Bill and Betty Buxton ’28 and ’29 captivates the crowd at Sotheby’s.
Kreidler’s
By Lia Unrau
While at Simpson Tim Kreidler set his sights on
Simpson Becoming mecca for area’s young writers – p. 12-13
By Lia Unrau
Dr. Mary Lose’s research is inspiration for successful annual gathering of working writers and students.
Commencement 1992
Solutions to future problems may be simple or profound, Bishop Job tells 320 grads.
Sports at Simpson – p. 21-22
Softball – the team tied for place with Central in the conference competition.
Men’s Tennis – The team ended the season with an overall record of 6-8 and a conference dual record of 5-4.
Men’s Track – Five members of the team went on to compete in the Division III National Track and Field Championships in May.
Women’s Golf – The women finished a strong 2nd in the Iowa Conference and they earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Golf Championships.
Women’s Track – The women won their 5th consecutive conference title in May.
Baseball – the team is ranked 11th in the nation.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1993
Presidential Comments – p. 2
Negotiating the future with strategic planning
Simpson Briefly – p. 4-5
Church Recognizes Simpson Professor – Dr. Ron Warnet, professor of chemistry was recently awarded the United Methodist Campus Leadership Award.
Kresge Foundation Tops $1 Million with Gift – Ted Taylor attended the fall meeting of the Board of Trustees and he presented a check totaling $600,000.
McBride Lecturer Ellie Smeal likens ERA fight to suffragette movement – Ellie Smeal spoke as the 5th McBride lecturer on women’s turn-of-the-century fight for the vote.
Miami U. Presents Award to Dr. Jennings – Stephen Jennings received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Miami University School of Education and Allied Professions.
Simpson Senior Debuts with Des Moines Symphony – Mark Fitzgerald Wilson was invited to sing with the
The Anvil is New Homecoming Award – The Anvil will replace the tomahawk award at Homecoming festivities.
Chisholm is Carver Lecturer Feb. 25 – Shirley Chisholm, first Black woman to seek the office for president of the
For Simpson alumni John Whitesell and Ric Coy
The Rules Inside – p. 10-11
As a criminal justice and corrections major, Brian Riedl has read a lot about prisons. As an intern at the Iowa Men’s Reformatory, he crossed the line that separates textbooks from reality.
Powered by
Simpson alumnus Dick Gilbert ’60 recreates
Simpson alumnus Bernard Franklin applies his own brand of energy to difficult times at the historically black
Miller to stress alumni-student interaction – p. 15
With all of the changes taking place on campus, Mark Miller, thinks the alumni would be amazed to hear about them.
‘Real World’ advice attracts student interest – p. 15
The first series of the Alumni Association’s “real world” programs, offered through the auspices of the Forum committee.
Sports p. 22-23
Football – The team posted a 6-2-1 record this past season.
Men’s Cross Country – the team placed fourth at the Iowa Conference Championships and eighth at the NCAA regional meet.
Women’s Cross country -- the women placed 4th at the Iowa Conference Championships.
Women’s golf – The team claimed its first-ever Iowa Conference Championship and the women will be in the thick of the NCAA Division III title hunt.
Volleyball – The team collected its fourth consecutive Iowa Conference Championship this year.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1993
Presidential comments – p.2
The exhilarating role of the arts
Simpson Briefly – p. 4-5
Racism is nation’s greatest enemy, Shirley Chisholm tells Carver lecture audience.
Joe Walt named ‘senior professor.’ – The Board of Trustees has chosen Joe Walt to be named a senior professor.
Autry featured at Commencement—James A. Autry will speak at Commencement this year.
New dean is Richard Bernard.
The Northern Lights – 6-9
By Lia Unrau
Three Simpson graduates Jim Nelson, Cheryl Thomas and John Lawlor have all made a decent living in the city of
Good Listener, Good Friend – p. 10-11
‘Bunny’ Peck has a new goal in lie. Unfortunately, she has to leave Simpson to achieve it.
Mr. Cunningham goes to
By Chris Coon
Ken Cunningham is soon to become the legislative director for U.S. Senator Charles Grassley.
Simpson Singers Impress Met Judges – p. 14
John Osborn and Amy Cope were both first place winners in the District Opera Auditions on the Simpson campus in January.
Leiber awarded Fulbright; headed for
Dr. Todd Leiber will teach and conduct research in literature at the
Buxton gift to help Simpson radio – p. 14
250 shares of Iowa National Bank stock was given to Simpson’s proposed radio station as a gift from Elizabeth Carpenter Buxton.
Sports – p. 16-17
Men’s Basketball – The team ended its season with a record of 8-8.
Women’s Indoor Track – The women finished 3rd at the indoor state meet.
Women’s Basketball – The women finished11-13 overall with a 7-9 conference record.
Men’s Indoor Track – The team placed second at the Iowa Conference Meet at Luther college and placed second at the
Wrestling – The team finished the season with a 26-14 dual victory.
Simpson ranked 6th academically – The men’s cross country team was recently honored by being ranked 6th nationally on the 1993 NCAA Division III Cross country Coaches’ Association All-Academic Teams listing.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1993
Presidential Comments p.2
The annual fund: a source of renewal
Simpson Briefly p.4-5
Science center dedication set for Oct. 22, 1993 – The science center will be dedicated to George Washington Carver in October.
Simpson students spend spring break helping homeless – 23 Simpson students who are members of Habitat for Humanity chose to journey to
Mary Berry office named in honor of Thomases – Norman and Marjorie Thomas donated a generous donation for the Mary Berry Hall Maintenance Endowment Fund.
Today on General College… -- 22 students gather together along with Dr. Todd Lieber and Jennifer Ross to produce a soap opera for May Term.
Rohm named chairman of the Board of Trustees – Charles E. Rohm was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of trustees in May.
Simpson invited to join research alliance – Simpson was invited to participate in the Central Iowa Research Alliance composed of scientists and educators.
Generation X p. 6-9
By Paul Zastrow
Chris Coon, Laurie Dowd and Aaron Lester are all breaking the typical mold of the average “Generation X” adult.
Simpson’s
By Michael Adams
Living and working in the
The Education of Josh Tetzlaff p. 14-15
By Lia Unrau
Josh Tetzlaff has been home-schooled for his entire life, until college.
Sports at Simpson p. 24-25
Men’s Track – Damon Youmans lead the team through a successful year.
Softball – the ladies ended with a record of 14-11.
Women’s Track –Kelli Sheda was voted the Most Valuable Athlete in the Iowa Conference for the 2nd straight year.
Baseball – Simpson finished fourth in the Iowa Conference with an 8-6 conference mark.
Golf – Simpson won the conference golf meet last fall.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1993-1994
Presidential Comments p. 2
Trustees leave indelible mark
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Rosavage’s flood relief efforts lauded – Ann-Marie Rosavage sought ways to help victims of
Sculpture donated to
Lamar Alexander is commencement speaker – Lamar Alexander, former US Secretary of Education, will speak at Simpson commencement.
Simpson receives National Science foundation grant – The National Science Foundation has awarded a $29,914 matching grant to Simpson for the purchase of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer.
Simpson chosen as small business institute – In July, the Small Business Administration approved
The Gatekeeper p. 6-9+15
By Michael Adams
As one of only 100 immigration judges in the United States – the first Asian American appointed on the East Coast – Sandy Hom ’71 sits in judgment of today’s immigrants to the United States, a country in the midst of what some are calling ‘anti-immigrant hysteria.’ The pubic is getting ‘skewed information’ about immigration, he says.
Serious Heart p. 10-11
By Lisa Green
Last fall Ricky Ramirez started college and entered the family business—professional boxing—both in the same month.
Silver Screen Worship p. 12-13
By Lisa Unrau
Each Sunday, The Rev. Julia Poulsen ’77 and members of her
Sports at Simpson p. 21-23
Golf—Leah Willenborg, Janet Rooney and Tracey Voss led the women to Iowa Conference Championship
Football—Injuries leave team struggling to 5-5 record
Volleyball—The women sported a 20-12 record (6-2 in conference)
Men’s Cross Country—Team finishes fourth in Iowa Conference, eighth in regionals
Women’s Cross Country—Finished fourth in Iowa Conference, 13th at regionals
Women’s Tennis—Finished fifth in Iowa Conference
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1994
Presidential Comments p. 2
The information revolution at Simpson
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Tenor Osborn caps great year with Metropolitan Opera win, choice of grad schools—John Osborn given opportunity to attend
Walt’s history of Simpson due early 1995—Dr. Joseph Walt’s “Beneath the Whispering Maples—The Story of Simpson College” expected to hit shelves in 1995.
SC tops Iowa Conference for all-academic honors—Seventeen student athletes selected from Simpson as members to the Iowa Conference all-academic team.
Simpson radio is on the air—KSTM 88.9 begins operations
Introducing Thundercat—Simpson unveiled its new mascot “Thundercat” in February.
Simpson Guild celebrates 50 years—Simpson Guild celebrates 50 years of contributions to various programs.
Murphy estate gift a $278,000 surprise—Phyllis L. Murphy left a gift of $278,000 to
Lizotte appears on college ‘Jeopardy’—Elizabeth Lizotte was selected as a contestant on “Jeopardy”
Lessons in
By Todd Lieber
As a Fulbright Scholar, Todd Lieber spent six months teaching English composition and poetry to students at the
The Archives: Where Simpson stores its memories p. 10-11
By Lisa Green
An in-depth look and memory filled piece about the seemingly lost artifacts housed in Dunn Library.
A Stitch in Time p. 12-13
By Michael Adams
For 25 years Mary Pembl Barton ’40 has studied the quilt and its place in the American culture. She’s been called a quilt expert, scholar and detective; she prefers quilt conservator.
Internet: The Information Frontier p. 14-15
By Lia Unrau
An early account of the Internet and its place as an academic resource for people.
Sports at Simpson p. 16-17
Men’s Basketball—Men finished with a 10-6 Iowa Conference record and 15-10 overall record.
Women’s Basketball—Finished fifth in Iowa Conference and posted 13-12 overall record.
Women’s Indoor Track—Nan Schlee qualified for nationals.
Men’s Indoor Track—Corey Carrell competed in nationals.
Wrestling—Five wrestlers qualify for nationals.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1994
Presidential Comments p. 2
‘Konnichiwa,’ Simpson: A New Dawn for Internationalism
Simpson Briefly p. 4-6
Sections of AIDS Memorial Quilt at Simpson—Four sections of The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt were on display at Simpson on April 11 for 12 hours as part of an AIDS awareness week.
Chicoine,
Gene Carter remembered—A group of
Tenure, promotions announced—Kate Joeckel granted tenure. Promotions to professor: Ronald N. Albrecht, music; D. Kay Carter, accounting; M. Jane Kvetko, head of the department of sociology and applied social sciences. Promotions to associate professor: Cathy Baker, environmental science; Marilyn Mueller, management; Cynthia Dyer, director of library services.
Soccer, swimming are new sports at Simpson—Swimming and soccer for men and women are to be gradually phased into Simpson’s roster of intercollegiate sports beginning in the fall of 1994.
DOC is up and running—Dunn Online Catalog replaces card catalog.
Life after ‘Jeopardy’—Liz Lizotte recalls her appearance on the hit game show.
Departments merge—Psychology, sociology and applied social science merge into one department to be called social science.
Ukai fund established—An endowed scholarship fund of $20,000 has been established in the name of Reverend Isamu Ukai who graduated from Simpson in 1894.
Senior Class gift unique, successful—The class of 1994 raised $7,800 in gifts and pledges and will use the money to establish an endowment for the purchase of music for KSTM.
New faculty named—Four new faculty members join staff in August. New faculty include: Jennifer L. White, Katharina Tumpek-Kjellmark, Michael Patterson and David Lion Gardiner.
Simpson hosts women’s golf nationals; Storm golfers are runners-up—Simpson hosted the National NCAA Division III women’s golf tournament and placed second for the second straight year. Leah Willenborg and Tracey Voss earned All-American honors.
A Good Neighbor p. 8-11
By Michael Adams
Eric Youngberg ’72 is a neighborhood activist—on the job and off. He lives five minutes from his job, knows every one of his neighbors and has some innovative ideas about living in the city.
Top Gun p. 12-15
By Lia Unrau
They are described as aggressive, gutsy, a different breed. They are also called the best aviators in the world. There’s a certain mystique surrounding Naval aviators—compounded by movies like Top Gun and events like Tailhook.
Behind the Mask p. 16-19
By Paul Zastrow ’92
Rita Harvey ’90 takes on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.
Sports at Simpson
Men’s Golf—Led by Aaron Barriage, Parker Getter and Rob Heitman. Finished seventh in conference tournament.
Baseball—Team reaches Regionals, John Sirianni named co-coach of the year in the Iowa Conference.
Men’s Track—Team tied for second place in conference tournament and Corey Carrell picked up All-American honors.
Women’s Track—Placed fifth at the conference tournament.
Men’s Tennis—Placed fourth in the conference tournament.
Softball—Team reaches Regionals for fifth time in six years.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1994-95
Presidential Comments p. 2
The Walt era at Simpson
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Fall enrollment down slightly—Enrollment numbers down about 100 from previous year.
Feeney offers insider perspective on November elections—Susan Feeney gave Woodrow Wilson Lecture and gave insight into the Republican party’s domination of the November 8th mid-term elections.
Trustees see strategic planning report—Board of Trustees examined strategic plan and offer suggestions on facilities to improve.
Fall speakers reflect variety of fields—Major speakers in the fall included: Roger Betsworth (religion), Dr. Donald Moorman (human gene therapy), Eric Marcus (Gay and Lesbian Rights), Keith Robinson (Future of Education in
Langdons remember Herb Alberding with scholarship—Langdon family funded a $100,000 scholarship for Simpson students interested in the environmental sciences.
Letters to Joe Walt p. 6-13
Letters showing appreciation for, and insight into, the impact that Joe Walt had at
History in the third person p. 14-15
By Paul Zastrow ’92
A discussion of the impending completion of “The History of Simpson College,” Dr. Joseph Walt’s pride and personal demon for the past eight years, inevitably leads to a discussion of Walt’s role in the college’s history—specifically, the role he has literally written for himself.
A colleague’s view p. 16-17
By Owen Duncan
After 25 years, Owen Duncan has learned a thing or two about Joe Walt. He maintains resumes are helpful, but they don’t always tell the whole story.
Sports at Simpson p. 26-27
Football—Team finished 5-5 (5-3 in conference).
Volleyball—Team was undefeated in Iowa Conference play, won conference tournament and earned invitation to NCAA Division III championship tournament.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country—Women finished 3rd in conference while men finished 5th.
Women’s Tennis—Storm led by Kara Svendson and April Erickson to 4th place conference finish.
Womens’ Golf—Won their third consecutive Iowa Conference Championship. Leah Willenborg became first ever Iowa Conference woman to win three straight individual titles. Bob Darrah named IIAC coach of the year.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1995
Presidential Comments p. 1
Student financial aid threatened
Simpson Briefly p. 3-4
Sagan Lewis returns as visiting artist—Sagan Lewis, television and theatre actress and 1975
Heinicke visits
Iowa Governor is 1995 Commencement speaker—Governor Terry E. Branstad presented the commencement speech.
Simpson now on World Wide Web—
The Cowles-Hopper Fund p. 7-8
By Michael Adams
A $3 million plan to renovate and expand the Hopper Gymnasium and Cowles Physical Education Center was announced March 31 to some 200 supporters of the Simpson athletic program at a special reception in
Key Choices p. 9-10
By Greg Krakau
Besides hi professional role as a criminal justice analyst for the Iowa state government, Clarence Key, Jr. moonlights as a private detective, a jazz musician, a radio disc jockey on KFMG in Des Moines, an actor and a writer for the local multicultural newspaper, The Communicator.
Sports at Simpson p. 13-14
Men’s Basketball—Led by David Otte and Shane Cadwell, team ties school record for most wins in one season with 20. The team earned a share of the Iowa Conference title.
Women’s Basketball—Team finished fourth in conference, behind a three-way tie for first place.
Wrestling—Shannon McLaughlin and Phil Grimm earned Iowa Conference championships and NCAA Division III tournament berths. Bob Darrah retires as coach. Ron Peterson named as successor.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1995
Presidential Comments p. 2
Good planning reflected in new construction
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Mary Rose Main named to trustees—Mary Rose Main, national executive director of Girl Scouts of the
CareerNet: Bringing alumni and students together—The Counseling and Career Services Office introduced a new way for alumni to be an active part of student life at Simpson.
Pi Phis claim national award—Simpson’s Pi Beta Phi members received the highest honor given by the national Pi Beta Phi sorority. Called the Balfour Cup, it distinguished the Iowa Beta members as the best among 128 chapters in the
Honor roll of names that live—Eight individuals nominated for distinguished alumni award. Nominees include: Herbert Alberding, Donald A. Koch, Sr., Margaret Liebe Watson, James W. Angell ’41, Allan D. Bass ’31, Glenn R. “Bodge” Bowles ’39, John Byer Farnham ’43 and Alice E. Sayre ’42.
Alan Magruder: Stressing the positive p. 6-7
By Lisa Green
While at Simpson, Alan Magruder served in many capacities, not the least of which were teacher, counselor and friend. Reflecting on his years at Simpson, he remains appreciative of the richness of it all.
Prince of the City p. 8-9
By Michael Adams, Editor
Glenn Buhr and the program he founded in Schorndorf celebrate birthdays in grand style.
Life among the Lost People p. 10-13
By Christine Willmsen ’93
Newly arrived in
ER Doc p. 14-15
By Chris Coon
After a few false starts, John Hines ’80 finds his place in a southside
Sports at Simpson p. 24-25
Baseball—Team earned second consecutive trip to regionals.
Men’s Golf—Team placed 7th in Conference tournament, led by Scot Bergman, Jeremy Larson and Doug Howard.
Men’s Tennis—Team records first ever dual win against
Track and Field—Men and women finished 5th in the Iowa Conference tournament. Carrie Schroeder was voted Iowa Conference co-Most Valuable Performer. Schroeder, Pat Camp and Matt Chance received All-American honors.
Softball—Team made 6th regional tournament appearance in seven years, Shelley O’Meara retires as coach.
Women’s Golf—Team earned 4th consecutive trip to the National Golf Coaches Association Division III National Championships. Leah Willenborg earned All-American honors.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1995-96
Presidential Comments p. 2
Career development within a liberal arts education
Simpson Briefly p. 4-5
Simpson soars to top of U.S. News rankings—
Jane Smiley to address class of 1996—Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley addressed the class of 1996 as the commencement speaker.
SAE’s Iowa Sigma receive major regional award—Iowa Sigma SAE’s were named Outstanding Chapter in the Province.
Simpson has extraordinary success with NCAA award—Six athletes in the last 10 years have won the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, which is considered by many to be one of the most prestigious awards given to athletes in all three divisions of sports-related activities at the collegiate level.
Simpson sets record enrollment—College sets record for highest enrollment at 1,180 full-time students with 358 freshman.
Entranced by the dance of Huntington’s Disease p. 6-10
By Joan M. Bundy
Jane S. Paulsen’s “textbook” definition of Huntington’s Disease: “An inherited, degenerative, neuropsychiatric disease characterized by a progressive loss of control over movements, thinking and emotions.”
By Marilyn Mueller J.D. and M.B.A.,
With the opportunity to visit one of the world’s largest democracies, Marilyn Mueller embraces the richness of
By Greg Krakau
A look at athletes that Simpson has sent on to the National Football League.
Sports at Simpson p. 26-27
Football—Team finished 3rd in the Iowa Conference with 7-3 overall record.
Volleyball—Posted a 23-10 overall record and was ranked fifth in the central region.
Men’s and Women’s Soccer—The men posted an 8-10-2 overall record with a 2nd place finish at the
Women’s Golf—Team finished 2nd at the Conference tournament, but placed first at the Small College Championships.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country—Women finished 5th at the league championships while the men finished the same.
Women’s Tennis—Team placed 3rd at the Iowa Conference Women’s Tennis Championships.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1996
Presidential Comments p. 2
The sabbatical refreshes teaching
Simpson Briefly p. 5
Suzanne Miller: Simpson’s first HR Director retires—Suzanne Miller retires after 27 years with Simpson.
Haddox named permanent academic dean—Bruce Haddox was named vice president and dean of academic affairs effective May 1, 1996.
Simpson passes 10-year test—Simpson received the official seal of approval from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Simpson has been accredited since 1912.
Tomorrow’s Classroom p. 6-11
By Michael Adams
Sports at Simpson p. 18-19
Women’s Basketball—Women suffered disappointing season after jumping out to a No. 8 ranking in the central region. The team finished 4th in conference with an 8-8 conference record (15-9 overall).
Men’s Basketball—Team advanced to NCAA Division III Championships for second straight year. Finished 2nd in the
Wrestling—Team placed 4th at the Conference tournament. Garth McGraw, Matt Young and Tim Norton advanced to Nationals.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1996
Presidential Comments – Inside Cover
First-year anxieties soothed by new program
Simpson Briefly p. 2-3
Franklin, Richer named to trustees—Bernard W. Franklin and Sunni Richer were named as trustees to replace Michael Gartner and Roger Witke.
Sports items sought—Athletic department was seeking old Simpson sports paraphernalia for decoration in the new seminar room.
The Simpson family reunions at Simpson—The Simpson family nationwide reunion was held at
Big changes to management department—Marilyn Mueller replaced Frank Colella as chairperson of the management department as Colella decided to give up the title. James Palmieri fills vacated full-time economics position.
Life on the Chaparral p. 4-9
By Michael Adams, editor
Simpson science students negotiate blistering heat, barbed flora and rattlesnakes to learn about the south
Bruce Haddox: Good humor, good ideas interest new “familiar” dean p. 10-11
By Lisa Green
A profile of the permanently appointed academic dean, Bruce Haddox.
Friend and mentor Ev Laning retires p. 10-11
By Joan Bundy
A look at
Mr. Smith and the high court p. 12-13
By Joan Bundy
It’s every lawyer’s dream: to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Simpson alumnus Dick Smith ’53 realized the dream and more. He won.
Sports at Simpson p. 24-26
Softball—Team placed 3rd in the nation behind efforts of freshman pitcher Kelli Schade, veteran Marci Potts and Chrissy Matthews.
Baseball—Team finished 3rd in the Iowa Conference.
Golf—Men’s golf finished 4th at the league meet.
Tennis—Men’s tennis finished 5th in the Iowa Conference Tournament.
Track and Field—Five individuals and the women’s 4x100-meter relay team placed in the NCAA division III Championships. Matt Chance, Nick Anderson, Chip Brundage, Loni Brewer and Kerry Flinn were the individuals who placed.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1996-97
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Religious Life Council stays active, has impact
Simpson Briefly p. 2-3
Simon Estes to deliver commencement address—World-renowned brass-baritone Simon Estes delivered the commencement address to the class of 1997.
Neil Postman cites media’s effect on culture—McBride Lecturer Neil Postman spoke on the topic of the media’s influences on culture.
Pi Beta Phi earn Balfour cup again—For the second consecutive year, Simpson’s Pi Beta Phi chapter received the national fraternity’s highest honor.
Simpson’s new home page goes online—Simpson’s second-generation home page went live Aug. 1.
Two days in
By Joan Bundy
Kip Janvrin, Simpson alumnus and one of the country’s most honored decathletes, competes for a spot on the
Real Money p. 10-11
By Cori Keeton and Ellen Colella
The Eberhart Student Aid Fund provides students with the opportunity to learn about investing—with real money.
The Joy of Home Work p. 12-13
By Lisa Green
An in-depth look at the job market from home. The following Simpson alumni were presently home employed at this time: Dawneen Blakeslee ’68, Ann (Roan) Galenis ’85, Dr. J. Ernest “Sunny” Breeding, Jr. ’60, Celeste Lauer ’75, Kim (McMartin) Schilling ’90.
The Reviews are in p. 14-15
By Michael Adams
Author Mark Green’s new global marketing textbook gets good, early reviews—in Mark Green’s class.
Sports at Simpson p. 22-25
Football—Team finished 10-0, picking up its 12th Iowa Conference title. Brad Jorgensen named Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player.
Volleyball—Team finished with 22-14 overall mark and a 3rd place finish in the Iowa Conference standings.
Men’s and Women’s Soccer—The men finished 14-5-3 which was good enough for second in the Iowa Conference in just their second year of varsity action. The women finished 11-8 in their inaugural varsity season, finishing 4th in the conference tournament.
Women’s Golf—Team captures 4th conference title in five years.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country—The men finished 6th overall and the women finished 5th.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1997
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Student-athletes enhance Simpson community
Simpson Briefly p. 2-3
New CD for Madrigals—The first new recording in 10 years was released by the Madrigal singers, under the direction of Dr. Robert Larsen.
Simpson receives some $3 million in planned gifts—Six planned gifts were given to the college.
Communication studies branch out—The communications department was approved to offer more specific majors rather than the broad-scoped communication studies major.
Simpson honored for character building—Simpson was honored by the John Templeton Foundation,
Grand Opera
By Michael Adams
John Osborn ’94 has a rare talent, a remarkable tenor voice suffused with strength and charm that is beginning to attract international attention in the competitive world of operatic singing.
‘Herr Behr’ leaves mark on Simpson, Schorndorf p. 12
A look back at the impact Glenn Buhr had at Simpson and in Schorndorf during his 36 years.
Dick Starr: The ‘quiet’ coach retires p. 13
By Kyle Proctor
A look at the coaching career of Dick Starr
Banking on Dan McGowan p. 14
By Kyle Proctor
Downsized out of a banking vice presidency, Dan McGowan ’71 does what comes naturally—he opens his own bank.
United in compassion p. 15
By Joan Bundy
As medical missionaries John and Jean Farnham ’43 and ’42 find they share a need to help others.
Sports at Simpson p. 19-20
Women’s basketball—Team posted an 11-14 record and a 6th place finish in the Iowa Conference.
Men’s basketball—Team posted an 18-7 record with a 2nd place finish in the Iowa Conference.
Wrestling—Team posted a school-record 18-1 dual mark and a 3rd place Iowa Conference finish. The team also had three NCAA Division III All-Americans and six qualifiers for the 1997 Division III National Championships. Jeremy Whalen, John Hatfield and Garth McGraw earned All-American honors.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1997
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Admissions crucial to enrollment goal
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Magruder gift to fund endowed chair—Alan Magruder and his wife Helene established the Helene and Alan Magruder Endowed Chair in Education.
Betsworth receives national Methodist award—Professor of religion Roger Betsworth received the 1997 Francis Asbury Award for Fostering United Methodist Ministries in Higher Education.
Waggoner receives National Science Foundation grant—Murphy Waggoner, assistant professor of mathematics, received a National Science Foundation grant to create a computer lab for mathematics students at Simpson.
Former head of Philosophy Norm Thomas dies—Dr. Norman Thomas, professor emeritus in the philosophy department, former chairperson of the division of humanities and former head of the philosophy department, died Sunday Aug. 10.
President awarded honorary degree—Stephen G. Jennings received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the College of the Ozarks,
Second-best fundraising year—Simpson had the second-largest fundraising year in its history, raising $5,342,000.
Vice President Gore makes summer visit to Simpson—Vice President Al Gore visited Simpson for the
Kerstetter, Barakat named to trustees—William E. Kerstetter and Douglas J. Barakat were named to the Simpson board of trustees. They replaced Robert F. Picken ’31 and William L. Peterson ’51, both of whom became honorary life trustees.
Indianola Our Common Ground p. 6-11
By Lisa Green
Regardless of hometowns, all past and present Simpson students have at least one place in common and that’s Indianola. But the town has changed in recent years—to some in very dramatic ways. Discover what some Simpson alumni have to say about their chosen hometown and of the ‘town and gown’ relationship that is so much a part of life in Indianola.
Reading for life p. 12-13
By Joan Bundy
Adults in the
Commencement 1997 p. 14-15
Commencement speaker Simon Estes was unable to appear, President Stephen Jennings filled in with some commencement thoughts.
No.1 p. 17-20
By Vicki Born
Propelled by a dramatic homerun, Simpson’s softball team captures a national championship winning the NCAA Division III playoffs in an inspired extra-innings contest in
Sports at Simpson p. 28-29
Women’s golf—Team finished 3rd in NCAA Division II and III Women’s Golf Championships.
Men’s golf—Team finished 5th in league play, led by Joey Kelso.
Baseball—Team struggled through 12-20 season where spring blizzard forced cancellation of 10 games.
Men’s tennis—Team finished 6th in conference tournament.
Track and Field—Both men and women’s teams placed 5th in the conference meet. Men were led by Corey Carrell and women were led by Loni Brewer.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1997-98
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Hosting conferences at Simpson rewarding
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Marcus Borg offers controversial view of Jesus—Matthew Simpson Lecturer Marcus Borg gives his take on who Jesus was.
McBride Lecture: Goryachev lauds and chastises American, Russian media—Sergei Goryachev,
Alumni venture into independent filmmaking—Three Simpson alumni, Robin (Hucke) Jons ’84, Brian Lynner ’72 and Mark Gruber ’83, starred in the independent film “The Yoo Fo Club.”
New strategic plan unveiled—New plan addresses teaching and learning environment at the college.
Sculpture donate—Artist Edward Lee Hendricks’ “1984-IV” was donated by Scott ‘70 and Diane Powell ’68.
Malless co-authors book on words coined by Shakespeare—Assistant Professor of Education Stan Malless co-authored a book about some 1,500 words said to be coined by William Shakespeare.
Mary Rose Main…for all the girls p. 6-10
By Carrie E. Holcomb
As Mary Rose Main retires as national executive director of the Girls Scouts of the
Studying the history of history p. 11
By Julie Hay
Although it has a reputation for being a difficult course, history majors—and history buffs—find much to like about historiography.
Dangerous pursuit, gentle species p. 12-14
By Joan Bundy
Collecting Araceae has not come without its difficulties for Tom Croat ’62, master botanist at the
The Henry A. Wallace Hall of Science dedication p. 15
Wallace Hall was re-dedicated following its renovation in 1996.
Jason Selby: The Simpson drawings p. 16-17
A display of Selby’s drawings of Simpson buildings.
Sports at Simpson p. 24-27
Storm Football: A playoff scrapbook—An account of the Storm trip to the NCAA Division III semi-final game. They were defeated by defending National Champion Mt. Union.
Women’s Tennis—Led by Kara Svendson, the team finished 5th in the Iowa Conference.
Volleyball—Team finished tied for 2nd in the Iowa Conference
Women’s Soccer—Team finished 3rd in the Iowa Conference behind Alicia Vegas’ 33 goals. The rest of the team combined scored 22.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country—Iowa Conference expanded to 11 teams. Men finished 6th with women finishing 8th.
Women’s Golf—Team won their 5th IIAC title in six years. Colleen Larson took 1st place, Julie Peterson took second and Fay Bradley and Hannah Willenborg tied for 3rd.
Men’s Soccer—Team finished 3rd in the IIAC Tournament.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1998
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Some reflections on leaving Simpson
Simpson Briefly p. 2-3
A week of transformations—Group of Simpson students take Spring Break trip to Texas to do ministerial work at Texas youth correctional facility.
Haddox appointed interim president—Dr. Bruce Haddox was named as interim president while the college searched for a replacement for Dr. Stephen Jennings.
Music reunion in
New agenda for Roger Betsworth p. 4
By Michael Adams
Roger Betsworth, head of the department of religion and philosophy, retires from Simpson.
A look back at anger p. 5-9
By Jane Schorer Meisner
White crosses were erected on campus for every Iowan killed in the Vietnam War; chapel bells rang once for each 39,400 Americans killed in Southeast Asia, alienating large segments of the Indianola community; attorney William Kunstler was invited to campus and the FBI visited campus to investigate student leaders, only to be asked to leave by then-President Ralph John. The late 60s and early 70s were a tumultuous time for
The impressive Avery O. Craven p. 10-13
By Kyle Proctor
Avery Odelle Craven, Simpson class of 1908, lived a life lasting nearly a century. He was born in small-town
The eye of the
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Baseball is Pat Daugherty’s life, literally. He talks baseball, he thinks baseball, he is baseball. His love for the game is apparent when he talks about it or when one sees his current office filled with baseball hats, plaques of recognition for his achievements in the sport or photos gracing the walls taken of him with numerous players and coaches. Daugherty ’58 is vice president of scouting for the Colorado Rockies.
The business of books p.15
By Kyle Proctor
Deborah Sanford ’72 has struck her own form of gold in
Sports at Simpson p. 19-20
Men’s Basketball—Team finished with 22-3 record giving it its first outright conference title since 1942. However, the team was not awarded a bid to NCAA Division III Championships. Adam Doll was named second-team Columbus Multimedia All-American, Columbus Multimedia West Region Player of the Year, and Iowa Conference most valuable player. Coach Bruce Wilson was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year for the 3rd time.
Wrestling—Team posted record 23 wins against three losses and finished 3rd at the Iowa Conference meet. Cory Christensen became the second Storm wrestler to win a NCAA Division III National Championship.
Women’s Basketball—Women also failed to secure NCAA Division III Championship bid. Team finished 21-4 and won the Iowa Conference Title. Coach Brian Niemuth was named both Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and Columbus Multimedia West Region Coach of the Year.
Indoor Track—Both the men’s and women’s teams finished 7th at the conference meet. Both teams also finished 4th at the Small College Championships in
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1998
Presidential Comments-Inside Cover
Confronting change with commitment and planning
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Simpson jazz band cuts CD—Jazz band took time after finals to make a CD of their work.
Poor first-hand; Students in
St. Clair named acting dean—Associate Professor of English Nancy St. Clair was appointed acting academic dean for the 1998-99 academic year to replace Bruce Haddox who was serving as interim president.
Opera Hero Robert Larsen jets to
New members join Board of Trustees—Allison Fleming and Thomas Graf were elected to the Board of Trustees while David Stout joined as an ex-officio member.
New e-mail listserv for Simpson alumni—Simpson started its own electronic alumni listserv that enables an Simpson alumni with e-mail access the ability to keep in touch and stay up-to-date with Simpson news and events.
Number 1 pre-season ranking for Storm—The Storm football team was ranked number one nationally among NCAA Division III teams in Bob Griese’s College Football Preview Pre-season Poll.
Women in Law p. 6-11
By Carrie Holcomb
Four very different women. Four very different jobs. One common denominator. Cindy Morrison, Susan Duncan, Amy Kluender and Kaia Frank are all excelling while working in what society has at times labeled a man’s domain: criminal justice.
Destination:
By Carrie Holcomb
Murphy Waggoner led the Habitat for Humanity group that ventured to
Simpson’s 131st commencement is last for
Great weather and 308 grads mark commencement ceremonies as Simpson’s second-longest serving president says goodbye, calling his time here ‘the most rewarding work of my career’
London Theatre in Simpson graduate’s future p. 16
By Lisa Green
Serra Johnson ‘98 was accepted to a London Theatre school for post-graduate training in theatre. She auditioned while on Simpson’s first semester long trip to
Studying ‘the troubles’ p. 17-21
By Michael Adams
A peace and justice tour of
Sports at Simpson p. 28-31
Softball returns to nationals—The Storm returned to Nationals for the second straight year but were unable to take home another championship.
Baseball—The team rebounded from a disappointing 12 win season in 1997 to take 4th in the Iowa Conference with a 28-12 record. Junior Matt McCollough earned second team All-Central Region honors and first team All-Conference honors.
Men’s Tennis—The team doubled last year’s win total to six.
Outdoor Track—Chip Brundage earned All-American honors finishing 5th at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Men’s Golf—Team finished 5th in the Iowa Conference.
Women’s Golf—Team finished 4th at the NCAA Division II/III Women’s Golf Championship. Hannah Willenborg earned All-American Honors.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1998-99
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Simpson exists beyond campus boundaries
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Simpson, Indianola Public Library join forces to enhance library cataloging and circulation—New cataloging system allows IPL and Simpson to view each other’s inventories with the click of a mouse.
Juan Williams laments loss of community—MsBride lecturer chastises media’s role in deterring leadership.
Simpson sees fourth year of record enrollment—Simpson had another record-breaking enrollment year with 1,992(1,344 full-time)
Breakfast club provides cereal, smiles and highlights the importance of volunteerism—RLC students volunteer their time to serve breakfast to and share conversation with elementary school students at the
Simpson education department re-accredited, named a top program in state
Star Struck p. 6-10
By Rebecca Christian
With no small amount of encouragement from their mother, four of the five Mullican sisters chose to leave Indianola and Simpson to ply their talents in
Life on a reservation still shapes the life of Alvera Kromer p. 11
By Kara Van Nordstrand
Even though Kromer hasn’t been in direct contact with the reservation of her youth, she is still profoundly affected by the experiences there.
Political Animal p. 12-15
By Carrie E. Holcomb
John Norris ’81 has spent virtually all his professional life behind the scenes in politics, winning elections, losing elections, living life one precinct at a time. As chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, he was credited with helping Tom Vilsack win his race for the
Foul Ball p. 16-17
By Dennis Sexton ’97
Forget McGwire and Sosa, playing professional baseball often entails hard work, broken promises and dashed dreams.
The Duncan Portfolio p. 18-19
A collection of photos displayed by Owen Duncan, professor of history.
Sports at Simpson p. 26-28
Football—Storm falls short of expectations following the previous season’s 3rd place national finish and preseason rankings as the top team in the nation. Guy Leman reset the Iowa Conference record for rushing yards in a season (previously held by Ricky Gales). Leman also recorded 33 touchdowns, the second highest ever in a season by a Division III player.
Soccer—The men finished runner-up again in the Iowa Conference tournament with the women finished 5th. Alicia Vegas became the first Simpson soccer player to be named All-Region.
Volleyball—Team finished 4th in the IIAC with a 3rd place finish in the IIAC tournament. Seniors Amy Trowbridge and Allison McGraw led the team. Head Coach Shelley O’Meara retired this season leaving next year’s duties to Lana Smith.
Women’s Tennis—Team finished 7th at the IIAC tournament.
Women’s Golf—Simpson won its third consecutive and sixth IIAC title in the past seven years. The team was led by Hannah Willenborg and Fay Bradley.
Cross Country—Freshman Joni Snakenberg led the way for the women and seniors Troy Owens and Joel Hoger led the men.
Simpson honors Bill Buxton with naming of stadium—Prior to the homecoming game against
Simpson Magazine
Spring 1999
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
The difficulties behind creating a community of purpose
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
LaGree named 21st President of Simpson College—R. Kevin LaGree was named president and assumed his new office July 1, 1999.
Scoping the sting—Brian Cunningham and Angela Konrad spent time studying
Accounting students are impressing “Big 5” firms—Simpson has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Simpson students being hired by the “Big 5” accounting firms due to increased quality of education in the accounting department at Simpson.
Coffin continues to challenge status quo—Reverend William Sloan Coffin challenged the 100 members of his Simpson audience to subvert the status quo in his lecture sponsored by the Simpson chapter of Amnesty International.
Barnum gift to enhance theater and organ at Simpson—A gift of $163,000 from Dr. Elmo and Bernita Barnum has made it possible to perform major facelifts on the organ in Smith Chapel and the Blank Performing Arts Center.
Dunn library site resource for alumni surfers—Dunn library has added guide pages on its Web site to help browsers facing difficulties with sheer size of the Internet.
Stormin’ the Metro p. 6-11
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Four of the head basketball coaches in the Des Moines Metro Conference are Simpson alumni, giving the city’s high school basketball scene a distinctly red and gold hue.
By Professor Emeritus Everett Laning
A personal perspective by Everett L. Laning,
On the road p. 14-15
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Simpson’s admissions counselors hit the road to help secure a freshman class.
Sports at Simpson p. 20-21
Women’s basketball—Team went undefeated in IIAC play with a 20-0 record and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament. Trisha Heiden was a finalist for All-American honors.
Indoor track—Women finished 4th, men finished 8th.
Men’s basketball—Team finished 2nd in IIAC. Adam Doll was named Academic All-American and Division III News as well as All-American spots on two other teams, Division III News and Columbus Multimedia.
Wrestling—Team finished 7th in IIAC. Matt Young earned All-American honors after placing 3rd in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Young, Matt Corbett and Matt Lindholm were also named Academic All-Americans.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 1999
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Cultivating humanity, enhancing lives
Simpson Briefly p. 2-4
Antique Creche figures return to Simpson—Approximately 100 antique Italian creche figures were given back to Simpson after being on display at the Wayne County Historical Society’s
Simpson buys former Hy-Vee—Simpson finalized the agreement on the purchase of the 404 North Howard building in July.
Simpson College and Indianola dedicate a new field—The field located north of the Indianola Aquatic Center in Vets Memorial Park was dedicated the “George Hladky Sesquicentennial Field.”
New trustees elected—Doug Shull and Barbara Gartner were elected to
Simpson acquires new basketball floor—The college recently acquired a wooden basketball floor to be set up in the fieldhouse of Cowles Athletic Complex. The floor had previously been in the Sioux City Arena.
Watching the grass grow—Steve Emerman, assistant professor of biology, placed 95 pots of prairie grasses on the roof of the
Rohm to continue to work for
A conversation with Simpson’s new president, R. Kevin LaGree p. 5-9
By Michael Adams
During his career, he has been a lawyer, pastor and an academic dean. Since July 1 he has been the 21st president of
Kevin and Patty LaGree—off the clock p. 10
A look at the hobbies of the 21st president and his wife.
Angela Allbee
Last May Simpson student Angela Allbee journeyed to
Two women, one journey p. 12-15
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Rebecca Bentzinger ’77 and Kayla McClurg ‘76 share a similar goal. Living in
Victory in
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Two years after their last national title, they win again defeating Chapman 4-1.
A land of ‘living stones’ p. 18-19
By Dr. Roger G. Betsworth, professor emeritus of religion
A peace and justice tour of ‘The Holy Land’ leaves Roger Betsworth with a pilgrim’s awe of the land where Jesus walked and many unanswered questions about the prospects for peace among Jews and Palestinians.
Sports at Simpson p. 28-30
Baseball—Sometimes lost in the shadow of the softball program, the Simpson baseball team had a record-breaking season in 1999. The team was 32-14 and earned an appearance in the regional tournament. Sophomore Adam Lueder was named second-team all-region.
Men’s Tennis—Team finished sixth at the Iowa Conference dual tournament.
Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track—Kerry Flinn ran a time of 57.79 in the 400-meter dash, which was good enough for 8th at the NCAA Division III National Championships and All-American honors for the 3rd time in her career. For the men, Brock Bedwell qualified for the national meet in the decathlon but finished just one place shy of earning All-American honors.
Men’s Golf—Team finished 8th at the IIAC tournament.
Women’s Golf—Team finished 8th at the NCAA Division II/III Women’s Golf National Championships.
Swimming—Team ended its second varsity season, improving throughout.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 1999-2000
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Updating the Carver story for today’s students
Simpson Briefly p. 2-4
Music, Larsen honored with $2 million gift—Anonymous gift creates the “G. Dewey and M. Maine Larsen Chair in Opera and Musical Coaching” and “The Robert L. Larsen Endowed Scholarship Fund.”
Simpson named by U.S. News and World Report—For the second year in a row
Simpson granted PRSSA charter—Student public relations group formed on Simpson campus.
Red and Gold Commission appointed to study alumni role—Red and Gold Commission has been asked by President R. Kevin LaGree to submit a strategic plan addressing the role of Simpson alumni.
Simpson1999-2000 enrollment is strong—Enrollment stays steady, attracting 415 new students and showing higher retention rates than recent years.
Simpson’s 17th president Ralph John dies—Dr. Ralph John, Simpson’s 17th president, died Thanksgiving morning at the age of 80.
Albrecht records CD of live performance—Ron Albrecht, professor of music, cut a new CD of his solo piano performances “Ron Albrecht Live—Through the Years.”
Simpson honored for character building—
Lessons in
By Carrie E. Holcomb
It’s expensive, foggy, rains a lot and there are no free refills, but for 24 Simpson students,
The Simpson Guild—A Helping Hand p. 10-11
By Alicia Held
Simpson Guild offers a number of donations and much-needed gifts to the college.
Rail Fan p. 12-13
By Angelina Lopez
For Dick Tinder his passion for train watching is hard to explain—‘There it is,’ he says. But the chance to catch a glimpse of a train lumbering across the countryside is his idea of a good time.
It takes a nation p. 14-15
By Michael Adams
A joint sabbatical project looks at the intersection of social services and education in
USDA dedicates Carver facility; Simpson is involved p. 16-17
By Michael Adams
Joe Walt, senior professor emeritus of history, took part in the dedication ceremony of the new United States Department of Agriculture headquarters facility by telling the story of George Washington Carver’s journey from Winterset to
Sports at Simpson p. 24-27
Alicia Vegas—Putting them in the net—A profile of the NCAA Division III career goals leader.
Men’s Soccer—Team finished 2nd in the conference, just missed NCAA bid.
Women’s Soccer—Team won conference tournament and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the programs short history.
Football—Team finished 6-4 with 4th place in the IIAC.
Volleyball—Team finished 3rd in the IIAC Tournament for the 4th straight season.
Women’s Tennis—Team finished with a 5th place at conference tournament.
Men’s Cross Country—Team finished 8th at IIAC Tournament during this injury plagued season.
Women’s Cross Country—Team finished 6th at the IIAC tournament and 16th in the Regional Tournament out of 24 teams.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 2000
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Reflecting on Simpson strengths
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Red and Gold Commission membership announced—listing of alumni who agreed to serve on The Red and Gold Commission.
Ebrick offers weekly peek at campus events—Alumni can subscribe to the electronic version of the campus newsletter “The Brick.”
The hopeful observations of Lisa Mahon—Born, raised and schooled in Northern Ireland, exchange students remains hopeful despite some bad news from Belfast.
Theatre Simpson chosen for
Simpson inspires book locale—Recent work of fiction by Max Collins called “Regeneration” drew inspiration from Collins’ father Max Collins Sr. who was a 1947 Simpson graduate.
Three named to honor roll of the Names That Live at Simpson—Two distinguished alumni and one former faculty member will be added to the list. Those being added include Ethel D. Anderson, Rev. Glen Lamb and Dr. Genelle Grant Morain.
Simpson to participate in joint educational venture—Simpson along with six other area colleges will participate in the Des Moines Higher Education Center. The center will be located in downtown
Faith and Physics: The Big Bang…Whispers of Faith p. 6-9
By David Olsgaard, assistant professor of physics
Scientists—physicists and astronomers, in particular—are beginning to talk increasingly about the existence of God, thanks in part to new information about the ‘Big Bang’ and the beginnings of the universe. Assistant professor of physics David Olsgaard examines modern science’s current thinking about theological issues.
Doing the math p. 10-11
By Carrie E. Holcomb
Staying up late, eating junk food and arguing about mathematical concepts—not everyone’s idea of a great weekend, but for 12 Simpson students participating in an international math contest, it was worth every sleepless minute.
Running for Lori p. 12
By Carrie Mills
To Pat Singer, Lori Whitlatch was an inspiration, so she ran her first marathon in her honor.
Covering the Register p. 13
By Carrie Mills
For the topic of his second book, history professor Bill Friedricks chose the Des Moines Register, “the newspaper
R. Kevin LaGree installed as 21st president p. 14-15
R. Kevin LaGree was inaugurated as Simpson’s 21st president April 8, 2000. The event capped a week of inaugural activities April 4-8 as the college community formally and ceremonially welcomed its new president.
Sports at Simpson p. 19-21
Indoor Track—Men placed 7th and the women placed 5th in the IIAC.
Wrestling—Team finished 7th in IIAC and 40th in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Women’s Basketball—Team won its 3rd straight IIAC title. Sarah Tonn was selected IIAC MVP. Head Coach Brian Niemuth was named IKON/WBCA District 8 Coach of the Year.
Men’s Basketball-Team placed 6th in the IIAC during this rebuilding year.
Women’s Swimming—Team finished 3rd in team standings behind Luther and Loras.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 2000
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Shaping the Simpson experience for the better
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
New trustees named—James F. Windsor, W. Steven Weeber and Phillip E. Harlow were all named new trustees on the
Mitch Kalpakgian retires, his love of English literature as strong as ever—Dr. Mitch Kalpakgian, professor of English, retired from Simpson at the end of the 1999-2000 academic year.
Faculty chairs funded by surprise estate gift—A $1.4 million surprise gift from Helen Harp Herny of
Kathy “O” says goodbye after 29 years—For 29 years Kathy Ohnemus made the 20-minute door-to-door commute from her farm in
New program takes students to
In Times of War p. 6-11
By Jane Schorer Meisner
“The Greatest Generation” Tom Brokaw called them, those men and women who came of age, served, fought and died during World War II. His best-selling book chronicled the lives of ordinary men and women, military heroes, famous people of great achievement and community leaders who reacted to extraordinary times and forged the values that made a people and a nation great. Is that what happened to the students at
Magical Mystery Tour p. 12-13
By
Ron Albrecht’s history of rock and roll May Term class culminates in a trip to
For your
By Faculty
For Simpson’s faculty members, summer is a time to prepare, recharge and read. For people who find many rewards in a life of the mind, reading rests very high on their list of pleasurable pursuits. So the Simpson Magazine asked the faculty to share their summer reading lists with the hopes its readership might gain an idea or two about some interesting books to read. Offered, too, are a few photographs of faculty members in their favorite spots to read.
Sports at Simpson p. 26-28
Softball—Team tied for the conference title, forcing a playoff between three teams. Simpson lost out to Coe and Coe then lost to Central. Team still received a bid to Regionals. Coach Henry Christowski became the first NCAA Division III coach to win 200 games in his first five seasons. He has the most wins as a coach in Division III with an .857 winning percentage.
Baseball—Team finished a disappointing 20-17 with All-Conference honors being awarded to Chris Larson, Adam Lueder and Brian Baker.
Men’s Golf—Team finished 7th at the IIAC tournament. Josh Luehmann recorded the lowest Simpson score since 1975 with a 68
Track—B.J. Leeper and Lucas Carder qualified for nationals. The men finished 8th at the IIAC championships. Women finished 8th at the IIAC as well and had Brook Christianson and Becca Casey qualify for national competition.
Men’s Tennis—Team finished 4th in the IIAC tournament.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 2000/2001
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
‘Bowling together’— building community is Simpson value
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Patty LaGree’s bible study class—It’s never too early—Patty LaGree’s bible study class meets every Tuesday from 6:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
U.S. News and World Report lists Simpson in its Top Ten—For the third year in a row Simpson has been named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top-ten best liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.
Task forces to study diversity, marketing and retention—President Kevin LaGree has appointed three task forces composed of 10-11 members to devise a comprehensive plan of improvement to present to the cabinet for consideration in the Simpson College Strategic Plan.
Record-breaking year for Simpson College enrollment—Fall enrollment reached 1,351 full-time students, the highest in the school’s 140 year history. Freshman class was two students shy of its record.
Sigler house: President’s house dedicated during special ceremony—The president’s house was dedicate the Sigler House during a special Homecoming week ceremony on Oct. 20.
Emily’s Plant: Simpson student has rare tropical plant named after her—Emily Kinsinger had a rare plant named after her while she was in
Dems in August p. 6-9
By Michael Adams
Simpson student Nate Boulton journeys as national delegate to the Democratic National Convention in
Working the Room p. 10-11
By Ty Kamerman
A week before the presidential election and the Simpson College Republicans are at the center of the campaign to elect George W. Bush, their leaders entrusted with key roles during a campaign stop in
After the legend—The story of Kate Shelley p. 12-15
By Kara Van Nordstrand
Many know the story of what happened that famous night in 1881, when 15-year-old Kate Shelley risked her life to stop the Midnight Express from crossing a washed-out bridge near
Vendetta in Tblisi p. 16-17
By Joe Cockrell ’97
Sarah Dietch, a young Simpson grad, travels to the
Homecoming 2000 p. 19-20
The three-year volunteer and staff effort to attract 2,000 alumni back to campus was a success.
Sports at Simpson p. 25-27
Football—Coach Jim Williams gained his 100th win, making him the 26th Division III coach to win 100 games.
Women’s Golf—Team fell just short of winning their sixth consecutive conference title.
Women’s Soccer—Team finished 2nd in IIAC.
Men’s Soccer—Men gained an IIAC title and a Nationals bid.
Men’s Cross-Country—Team finished 6th at the IIAC tournament and 13th at the Division III Regionals.
Women’s Cross-Country—Team finished 8th in the IIAC and 20th at Division III Regionals.
Women’s Tennis—Tying the school record for most wins in a season, the team finished 14-2 and placed 3rd in the IIAC meet.
Women’s Volleyball—Team finished 2nd in IIAC.
Simpson Magazine
Summer 2001
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Simpson at the Crossroads
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Unique football field will be ready for fall; the next generation of artificial surfaces to be installed at Simpson—The football field was resurfaced with AstroPlay, a revolutionary field surfaced touted as being less harmful to athletes.
Dr. Janet Heinicke retires—Dr. Janet Heinicke retired after 19 years with the Simpson art department.
Kresge, Pfeiffer get face lifts—The women’s dormitory and the dining facilities both received major renovations this summer.
Tenure, sabbaticals announced—Faculty granted tenure include: Mark Bates, assistant professor of Spanish, Sharon Jensen, assistant professor of education, Sarah A. Meyers, assistant professor of psychology and David A. Olsgaard, assistant professor of physics. Sabbaticals granted include: William Friedricks, history professor, Mark Green, management professor, Gary Kinkel, associate professor of religion, Michael Patterson, associate professor of music,
Simpson’s permanent art collection: something for everyone—An account of a number of valuable and not-so-valuable works obtained by the college.
Mary Berry gets piece of the sky—A project of 16 students in the Vision and Invention II class is on display in Mary Berry Hall.
Nick’s Winning Ways p. 6-9
By Michael Adams
Nick Ackerman’s life is a study in intensity, a desire to compete, and a triumphant story of personal and athletic achievement in the face of adversity.
Determined and sound—The Tim Wilborn story p. 10-11
By Jennifer Whitham
An in-depth look at the story of Simpson graduate Tim Wilborn who had his education paid for by Gertrude B. Nielsen, the late widow of ratings giant A.C. Nielsen.
Remembering John Denver p. 12-13
By Julie Gammack
A reflection of the time spent listening to then Simpson artist-in-residence John Denver.
Alumni Weekend is last for Lebeda p. 16-20
More than 370 alumni returned for what would be Kay Lebeda’s last year as alumni director after 21 years of overseeing the weekend.
Sports at Simpson p. 21-23
Softball—Team finished 4th in the IIAC, its worst finish since 1987. Karen Smith earned 1st Team All-American Honors, hitting seven home runs ( a school record).
Men’s Golf—The team had several decent finishes in tournaments throughout the year, with Josh Luehmann pacing them much of the way.
Baseball—Team finished 4th in the IIAC tournament. Standout players included Brian Baker who broke numerous school records and Adam Lueder who broke a number of pitching records as well.
Track and field—Lucas Carder finished 10th in the NCAA National Outdoor Championships and 13th at the National Indoor competition. Becca Casey and Becky Kingery qualified for Nationals for the women.
Simpson Magazine
Winter 2001/2002
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Discovery and renewal in the wake of tragedy
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
New VPs named and marketing department formed—John Kellogg was appointed new vice president for marketing, Deborah Tierney was appointed vice president for enrollment and Kelley Bradder was named vice president for information services and chief information officer.
U.S. News and World Report lists Simpson in its top-ten—For the 4th year in a row Simpson College was named as one of the top-ten best liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. This year the college moved up to 6th.
The legendary Jim Williams leaves Simpson following the last game of the 2001 season—Head football coach Jim Williams announced his retirement Nov. 10 following the last game of the season. Williams is the most winning coach in the history of the Storm program with a career record of 106-48-1.
Major lectureships bring the world to Simpson—Five major lectureships provide students the opportunity to hear speakers like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sister Helen Prejean and numerous other well-known individuals.
Waddle named chaplain—
The Art of the Vine p. 6-11
By Jennifer Whitham
Simpson alumnus Doug LaVelle ’70 fell in love with the idea of making wine after a successful career in business. Now LaVelle Vineyards produces some of
Tolerance vs. theocracy in the Muslim world p. 12-13
By Jennifer Hedda, Ph.D.
A post 9-11 look at the Islamic culture from the view of Jennifer Hedda who teaches courses in Islamic, Russian and European history at Simpson.
Viewing victims and offenders as human beings:
Recent reflections on dead man walking p. 14-16
By Tobias Winright
Once a police officer, now a teacher, Tobias Winright shares why we should reject the death penalty, even for the most hate-filled and violent killers among us.
Roger Allen, a career in black and white p. 18-19
By Jennifer Whitham
A look at the career of Roger Allen, Simpson student in the late 1950s and current main advertising representative and associate editor of the Montezuma Republican in southeast Iowa.
Sports at Simpson p. 24-28
Niemann named head football coach at
Football—Team ended 4-6 in a disappointing final season for coach Jim Williams.
Women’s Golf—For the second year in a row the women finished 2nd in the IIAC.
Men’s Soccer—Team finished 3rd in the IIAC tournament.
Women’s Soccer—Women finished 3rd in the IIAC tournament after entering with a No. 1 seed.
Women’s Tennis—Team placed 7th in the IIAC meet.
Men’s Cross-Country—Team finished 4th at the IIAC championships.
Women’s Cross-Country—Team finished 6th at the IIAC championships.
Volleyball—The women entered the IIAC tournament as the No. 1 seed. Team finished 3rd in the tournament and 2nd in the IIAC.
Simpson Magazine
Spring 2002
Presidential Comments—Inside Cover
Science at Simpson ready for challenges
Simpson Briefly p. 2-5
Simpson’s Emerman receives Fulbright to teach in
Simpsonian, two staffers earn national awards—The Simpsonian won 3rd place in the nation in the Society for Collegiate Journalist’s Overall Excellence competition. Editor Patrick File won first place for Best News Story and news editor Erin Haller was given honorable mention in the Best Feature Story competition.
Simpson sciences receive Carver grant—The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust,
Simpson curling team wins bronze at nationals—Inspired by the Winter Olympics, Nate Boulton started a curling team at Simpson. In their first year of existence the team placed 3rd in national competition.
Immigrant entrepreneurs focus of Simpson study—Elitsa Banalieva and Melissa Manneter along with two faculty members, conducted research on the challenges, struggles and successes of immigrant entrepreneurs in the Des Moines area.
President’s Commission on multicultural affairs—An 11-member President’s Commission on Multicultural Affairs has been named to oversee and develop multicultural initiatives at Simpson until the college is able to hire an assistant dean for multicultural affairs.
Simpson College SIFE team scores in
Deserving of Protection p. 6-9
By Michael Adams
Twice each week during the spring, summer and fall, Jeff Parmelee, assistant professor of biology at Simpson, journeys to the bluffs of Madison County, home of the famous bridges, to wade through tall prairie grass and climb rocky outcroppings looking for Crotalus horridus—Iowa’s timber rattlesnake.
A grandfather’s tribute p. 10-11
By Michael Adams
A look at Dee Brown’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” and the dedication of the book to Nicolas Brave Wolf, also known as Nicolas Proctor, assistant professor of history at
Inside Art p. 12-13
By Jennifer Whitham
Simpson’s new Upward Bound director spends her Tuesday and Thursday evenings teaching art to the women of Mitchellville—Iowa’s Correctional Institution for Women—helping them learn to give back and understand themselves.
Some early thoughts on the Euro p. 14-15
By Michael Adams
Twelve European countries have linked their economic futures to a unified currency, something that, to an economist like Simpson’s Frank Colella, is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Sports at Simpson p. 20-22
Men’s Basketball—Team finished in 3rd place in the IIAC. Jesse Harris was a finalist for the Josten Award and a first team Academic All-American.
Women’s Basketball—Team finished 4th in the IIAC and 2nd at the IIAC tournament. Michelle Stover was named honorable mention All-American.
Indoor Track and Field—Lucas Carder placed 8th at Nationals, earning himself All-American honors. Sara Jensen and Becky Jolly ran well for the women.
Wrestling—Team finished 23-7, full of youth and promise.
Swimming—First year coach Mark Corley saw a successful season as Dana Kuiken qualified for National Competition, but didn’t receive an invitation. The team finished 8th at the Liberal Arts Invitational.
Touring the Years p. 23-27
1920s --D. Russell Schaal ’27 celebrates his 95th birthday in
1930s -- Mabel Schaal Hudson ’37 recently celebrated her 90th birthday in
1950s -- Gerald Farley ’53 recently earned the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Excellence in Leadership Award. Farley is president of
1960s – Nan Stilwell Tebrinke ’62 together with her daughter published poetry book titled, “
William Harrison ’64 serves as the librarian at the Oaks Correctional Facility with the Michigan Department of Corrections after obtaining his master’s degree in library science in 1994.
Chere Burch Horel ’68 retires after 34 1/2 years of teaching music in
Glenn Norris ’68 serves as a lawyer for Hawkins and Norris, P.C. in
1970s – Bob and Barb Perry English ’73 have two sons attending Simpson. Matt ’02 is a senior accounting major and Andy ’05 is freshman marketing major. The English family has now had had seven member attend Simpson and one work in the business office.
Stan Weeber’74 is an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at
Michael Weeks ’75 received the highest civilian honor in
Kirk Norris ’79 is the president of The Iowa Hospital Association Board.
1980s – Spencer Fallgatter ’81 is a principal for the
Jane Paulsen ’83 studies Huntington’s disease at the Huntington Study Group at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.
Beth Scaglione Sewell ’85 is assistant professor of biology at
Brenda Marlin ’86 works as vice-president of lending at Iowa State Savings Bank.
Debra Sterns Beauregard ’87 is founding director of a Health Care Consulting Company in
1990s – Erin Doherty Lemon ’90 is co-founder and practice administrator of Midwest Oral and Facial Surgery, P.C. in
Peter Lemon ’90 is co-founder and oral surgeon of Midwest Oral and Facial Surgery, P.C. in
Alissa McKinney ’90 is director of development for the Terrace Hill Foundation, residence of the Governor of Iowa.
Lora Duncan ’92 serves as director of The Learning Garden, a Bright Horizons Family Solutions center in
Michelle Anderson Bakken ’93 serves as marketing coordinator for Flooring Gallery in
Theresa Cannon ’94 works as an Academic Advisor at the
Pete Waltz ’96 is the freshman science teacher and sophomore football and assistant varsity basketball coach at
Merea Haugen Bentrott ’97 is customer support specialist at DFM Technologies in
Amy Rawson ’95 has several paintings on exhibition at
Lincoln Russian ’95 is a business consultant for Principal Bank in
Melissa Wittenburg Davis ’96 is an occupational therapist working for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in
Eric Boatwright ’97 is financial consultant at AXA Advisors in
Ben Montgomery ’97 was named Outstanding Young Iowa Journalist by the Iowa Newspaper Association. He works at the editor of the Spencer Daily Reporter in Spencer.
Anna Speas ’98 recently passed her
Eric Strovers ’98 recently graduated from
Kimberly J. Fritz ’99 is director of student activities and first year experience at
2000s – Charlotte Capper ’00 serves as a volunteer at the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She is an outreach assistant for the Loaves and
Jessamy Helma ’00 is an accounting associate/billing specialist with Moss Godilis Law Firm in
Meagan McGlade ’01 had the highest score in the state of
Tricia Martin ’01 is a staff assistant for Senator Tom Harkin in
“Margaret Aldrich ’97 scores with the new quilt book” p. 24
Margaret Aldrich is currently employed as an editor/stock photography coordinator at Voyageur Press in
“Christine Willmsen’93 among finalists for Pulitzer” p. 26
On staff with The Dayton (
“Dr. James E. McEldowney’28 reflects on active life in new book” p. 27
Since graduating from
New Faces p. 27
Carmen Bratz joined the college advancement office as coordinator of institutional grant support. Previously, Bratz was program manager for the Iowa Department of Human Services. Bratz is a graduate of
Cindy Abbot has joined the Upward Bound office as assistant advisor. Formerly, Abbot worked as a correctional counselor at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville. Abbot earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in social work from
Sonja Wright has joined the Upward Bound Program as academic advisor. Previously, Wright served as project coordinator for career services and cooperative education at the
Faculty Notes p.28
Ron Albrecht, professor of music, recently finished a series of recording sessions with flautist Sandra Wacha and Trifecta Recording. The result will be a CD featuring an hour of music for flute and piano. The CD will be available some time this spring. Albrecht’s newly composed “Jazzberries,” a set of three jazz-style pieces for trombone and piano, was performed during the solo piano recital presented by Albrecht on the Simpson campus.
Dan Bauer, assistant professor of English, delivered the sermons “Nature Stories and God Talk” at the Washington United Methodist Church bringing together his work in English and rhetoric with his role in the United Methodist Iowa Conference Board on Camps.
John Benoit, associate professor of music and faculty trombonist, was one of the three judges at an “in-house” concerto-aria competition held at
Patricia Calkins, assistant professor of German, has been selected by the American Association of Teachers to join a program called TrainDaF, which trains leaders of German education in
Jennifer Hedda, assistant professor of history, presented a paper titled “The Double Bind: Church, State and Society in
Scott LaGraff, instructor of music, performed “Songs of Don Quixote” on the Indianola Concert Association’s 2001-2002 season in Indianola and will perform the same recital at
Jeff Parmelee, assistant professor of biology, was invited to
A book by Nick Proctor, assistant professor of history, “Bathed in Blood: Hunting and Mastery in the Old South,” was published in April by University Press of Virginia. It will be available in both hardback and paperback.
Tom Schmidt, assistant professor of management, presented a paper titled, “The Impact of Voice and Justification on Students’ Perceptions of Professors’ Fairness” at the American Marketing Association’s Winter Educator’s Conference in
Tobias Winright, instructor of religion, published a book review of “Priorities and Christian Ethics,” by Garth L. Hallett in the summer edition of Pro Ecclesia 10.
A poem by David Wolf, instructor of English, titled “The Exchange” has been selected for the Voices on the Prairies series, a radio broadcast of poem and poets with Iowa roots and connections. Wolf also contributed an essay to a book chapter titled “Excavating the Ruins of Undergraduate English” which appeared in Beyond English Inc.: Curricular Reform in Global Economy. The chapter was co-authored with Bruce Horner, Kelly Latchaw, Joseph Lenz and Jody Swilky of
Simpson Magazine
Summer 2002
Simpson Briefly, p.2-6
By Jennifer Whitham
Associate Professor of Music Michael Patterson received a commission to write the libretto and compose an opera based on Beatrix Potter’s “Peter Rabbit.” This was a joint commission pioneered by Dr. Robert Larsen, longtime head of the Simpson music department and philanthropist Doris Salsbury, a longtime student and collector of Beatrix Potter-related materials. In April 2001, this 25-minute opera, under the title, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” received its world premiere during Simpson’s May Term Opera Workshop.
Off the Press, p.3
By Michael Adams
In a joint effort with Warren Keegan of
Back in the Fold, p.3
By Matt DeWolf
A Class of “Foodies,” p.4
By Michael Adams
The Division of Adult Learning, in its quest to add “unusual” classes to its curriculum, recently added a one-credit class titled, “Reading and Writing about Food.” The class is taught by Wini Moranville, a food critic who’s been writing reviews for The Des Moines Register for about five years.
Geological Grant awarded, p.5
Simpson Receives Charitable Remainder Trust from Buxton Estate, p.5
A generous gift, posthumously bestowed upon
New member to Board of Trustees, p.5
Sumner Worth, president of Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Company in Waukee, was recently appointed to the Simpson College Board of Trustees. Worth currently serves on the board Wells Fargo Bank,
Faculty Changes for new academic year, p.5
Lora Friedrich, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice, will assume duties as the head of the department of social science replacing Jane Kvetko.
Nick Proctor, assistant professor of history, will serve as acting head of the department of history while Bill Friedricks is on a one-year leave of absence.
Replacing Dick Tender as head of the computer science department will be Mark Van Wyk, professor of mathematics and computer science.
Gary Kinkel, associate professor of religion, is the new chair of the department of philosophy and religion, replacing John Pauley.
Dean of Academic Affairs Bruce Haddox also announced several new faculty members for the 2002-2003 academic year.
Eun Hee Shin in religion replaced Katherine Komenda’s position.
Amy Doling will replace Joe Moody in Biology.
John Fry will join the history department for a one-year appointment while Bill Friedricks is on leave writing a biography of John Ruan.
Michael Duke in instrumental music will replace Rob Spence.
James Kim will replace Rebecca Gruber with a one-year appointment in vocal music.
Getting to
By Michael Adams
In the Spirit of Change, p.7-10
By Jennifer Whitham
Simpson senior and Project Transformation intern Brett Majors spends time talking to youth at
Worldly Ways: The story of Sven and Mildred Lekberg’s time at Simpson p11 -13
By Jennifer Whitham
The spirit of the Lekbergs still resonates among the Simpson music department and the rest of the Simpson community. Senior Professor Emeritus of History Joe Walt and longtime Professor of Music Robert Larsen share their memories of the Lekbergs.
The Lekberg sisters—Living the influence, p.14
Sven and Mildred Lekberg influence the lives of their two daughters Jane and Barbara Lekberg. Barbara is a sculptor and teacher living in
Simpson and Pioneer: A model partnership, p.15
By Sharon Albright
The partnership between
Commencement 2002, p.16-18
By Jennifer Whitham
380 Simpson seniors enjoy a perfect day for their graduation procession as they emerge out of Smith Chapel in their academic regalia. Dr. Raymond Greenberg, president of the Medical University of South Carolina was the appointed keynote speaker, delivering a message titled, “Follow Your Moral Campus.”
Alumni News
Alumni Weekend 2002—Timely and ‘Touching’ p.19-21
Simpson’s relatively new Alumni Relations Director Julie Methlie experienced several highlights this year. Two alumni college classes on the
Sports at Simpson p.22-24
By Sara Opie
Track and Field—Pole-vaulter Andrew Hoopes jumps his way to second place in this year’s conference after tying for first and competing in a jump-off. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team qualified for NCAA division III Outdoor Championships in
Men’s Golf – The team finished third in the Iowa Conference Tournament and according to Head Coach Chad Buchanan it’s the best the team has done in a long time.
Men’s Tennis – The Storm finished the season with an 11-8 overall record and 10-5 conference record.
Softball – The team finished fourth in the conference with a 12-6 record and ended with a 27-11 overall record. The season ended with a doubleheader shutout with second-ranked Central beating 22nd ranked Simpson 4-0 and 3-0.
Baseball – Simpson finished the season 19-19 overall and were 5-13 in conference play. Senior Tony Coppola reset two school records by getting the most hits (63) and total bases (107) in one season. Andy Walker set a record for career runs (118) and Scott Sibbel set a record for triples in a season (8) and senior Nick Sinn set a new record for career doubles (31) breaking the old record of 26 set by Brent Faber in 1996-1999.
In his 18th season as head coach, John Sirianni won his 400th game as Simpson head baseball coach when his team beat
Presidential Comments p.25
By R. Kevin LaGree
President LaGree highlighted some of the attributes that make
Touring the Years p.26
1920s – Ray E. Morris ’27, author of “The First Eighty Years of Ray Morris” and “The Second Eight Years of Ray Morris” celebrated his 97th birthday on May 2, 2002.
1930s – Erma Brooks-Stich ’35 of
1950s – Lloyd L. Anderson ’55 is Charles F. Curtis Distinguished Professor of Agriculture at
1960s – Marian Mann Harris ’62 retired after teaching 38yrs in the
Dianne Skrivseth Day ’68 of
1970s – Stephen Brown ’70 received a master’s degree from
Rich McKinney ’71 has retired after 12 years as director of music for the
Dee Goodwin Allen ’72 recently retired after 29 years as a teacher and principal in the Indianola school system.
Michael Feder ’73 is director of regional sales and marketing for the New Orleans Saints professional football team.
Carol McVey Fricke’73 is president and CEO of LKF Marketing, Inc. Fricke was awarded the Athena Award for professional excellence…
1980s – Rich Patrick ’84 became chair of the business administration and economics department in June of 2001 and was recently named the Durham Chaired Professor of Business Administration at
Annette L. Smith ’85 has been promoted to Director—Des Moines Regional Office for Fiserv Life Insurance Solutions in
Todd McConville’86 has been an actor with Sweetback Productions in
Anders Sjostedt ’86 is manager of treasury at Nokia Finance Int. B.V in
Dave Swinton ’86 is senior pastor at the Perry, Rippey and Fairview United Methodist Parish.
Wendy Foughty Vasquez ’88 is vice-president/management supervisor at Cramer-Krasselt Advertising in
1990s – Rod Liston ’91 is with the Special Traffic Investigations Unit in
Kristin Adkins McDaniel ’91 is director of presentational graphics at ASI Sign Systems.
Trisha Black-Romig ’91 is a third-grade teacher at Terrace Elementary in
Tom Berg ’92 is staff physician at
Tom Galbraith ’92 is working on his Ph.D at the
Bill Wright ’92 was named his office’s broker of the year and was inducted into Grubb & Ellis’ circle of excellence, which recognizes the company’s top brokers in the nation.
Jason Jones ’93 is moving from
Pamela
Kim Bakker Jones ’94 works with Hallmark’s floral division in the
Nan Schlee ’94 and Babs Schlee ’94 recently completed a seven-week 3500-mile bike tour across the
Jackie Jones Gibbons ’95 is a second-grade teacher for Clarke Community Schools in Osceola.
Susan Faulkner ’96 bachelor of music in vocal performance, will graduate magna cum laude from
Jill M. Fox ’96 is an English as Second Language teacher and boys/girls cross-country coach in
Sara Bucknam ’97 is a school counselor at
Jessica Johannsen Espenmiller ’97 received a master’s degree in occupational therapy from
Michael Beckett ’98 earned an MD from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He has started his residency in internal medicine at the
John Espenmiller ’98 is vice-president of commercial lending with Firstar Bank in
Brad Schaeffer ’99 is a third through sixth grade music teacher at
Ed Wallace ’99 works for Senator Charles Grasley on the Committee on Finance in
2000s – Lucas Carder ’02 is an application developer for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Gaumer ’75 finds rewards in Naval Reserve p.27
Ben Gaumer was recently selected for promotion to Rear Admiral in the Naval Reserve, making him one nine reservists in the medical field promoted to this level nationwide.
Investigating Reality at
By Matt DeWolf
For Jess Dunn ’92 the reality of the world has sunk in. His career working for the State of
A Busy Man p.30
By Matt DeWolf
Rev. Keith Ratliff ’75 adds NAACP to the mix of family, work, church and politics. Ratliff is a senior engineer analyst at John Deer along with serving as minister for the Maple St. Baptist Church. On top of that, Ratliff also serves as president of the NAACP for
Witke Named Alumni Relations Director p.31
Coreen Hjort Witke ’91 has been named director of alumni relations where she oversees all programming involving the college’s 10,000 living alumni, Alumni Weekend, Homecoming,
Hunt named to CASE board p.31
Dennis Hunt, vice-president of college advancement, recently accepted a position to serve on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Commission on Philanthropy.
Faculty Notes p.32
Mark Freyberg, assistant professor of sociology, was voted president-elect of the Iowa Sociological Association at the group’s meeting in
Bill Gilbert, professor of biology, and
Jennifer Hedda, assistant professor of history and Nick Proctor, assistant professor of history, participated as speakers in the Third Annual Criminal Justice Conference held at Simpson April 9. Proctor spoke on the history of terrorism and Hedda talked about beliefs and practices of Islam.
Pat Singer, professor of biology, presented a lecture titled, “In Search of the CA125 Promoter” at
A book written by Nancy St. Clair, associate professor of English, “Declaration s of Independence Empowered Girls in Young Adult Literature, 1999-2000,” has just been published by Rowman and Littlefield. She has also had an essay on feminist popular culture accepted for publication in the winter edition of the Science Fiction Research Quarterly.
Brian Steffen, associate professor of communication studies, has had his research, “Freedom of the Private-University Student Press: A Constitutional Proposal,” accepted for publication in a special fall issue of the John Marshall Law Review that will focus on First Amendment issues.
David Wolf, instructor of English, joined poets M.L Hopson, Anthony Tracy and area high school students to read poetry at Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Wolf also served as literary judge for this year’s Periphery,
Simpson Magazine
Winter 2002/2003
Simpson Briefly p.2-5
Bernstein Indicts press, Washington in McBride Lecture
Famed Washington–era investigative reporter Carl Bernstein had very little good to say about the state of the American journalism and politics today at this year’s McBride Lecture Oct.9.
Top Ten listing for Simpson from U.S. News and World Report
For the fifth year in a row
Literature’s Empowered Girls Are Subject of Brown/St. Clair Book
By Jennifer Whitham
Associate professor of
Simpson Acquires Ultang Photos
By Michael Adams
Famed Des Moines Register photographer Don Ultang donates exhibition prints, including his 1952 Pulitzer Prize photo at Simpson. The framed 100 exhibition-quality prints offer a overview of Ultang’s career, including his Pulitzer photo showing a black Drake football player, Johnny Bright, getting illegally and repeatedly slugged by Oklahoma A&M players.
Simpson joins forces with ISU,DMACC for Carver Teacher Education Program
By Matt DeWolf
In a unique venture,
Simpson receives Lilly Endowment Grant
Nans and Babs’ excellent adventure p.6-7
By Matt DeWolf
For most, vacation would never involve a 3,500-mile bike ride spanning seven weeks. Nor would it entail waking up every morning at 7:15 a.m. with 7-8 hours of cycling ahead. But this was exactly what and Nan and Babs Schlee ’94 wanted. The twin sisters originally from
The
By Lisa Green
Despite their simple lifestyle, Simpson professor Lora Friedrich’s research into the Amish subculture did not yield simple explanations. Lora Friedrich grew up in
A Happy Beginning p.10-12
By Jennifer Whitham
Adopting her foster child, Sharon Jensen finds becoming a single parent is filled with challenges and rewards.
Bill Gilbert finds retirement has its allure p.13
By Matt DeWolf
The man who helped start the Environmental Science program at
Alumni News p.14-15
Alumni Award recipient announced
Seven alumni will be honored with awards next summer during Alumni Weekend. Honorees will include the following:
Dr. Michael Scribner ’78 graduated with a BA in Chemistry. While at Simpson, Scribner was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a Simpson Scholar and was awarded the Baker Chemistry Award.
E. Charles Brice ’69 is senior vice president of sales and business development for Kemin Foods in
Matthew Oltman ’97, a Simpson and Lambda Chi Alpha alumnus, graduated with a BA in music. Following Simpson, he went to the University of York, England where earned his MA in music performance. Before becoming a member of the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble, Chanticleer, Oltman then went on to sing professionally in such places as
Dick Stoffer ’77 attended
Mary Lou Ogan Rose ’51 was the editor, writer, and owner of the Sycamore Messenger-News in
Dr. Everett Laning ’53 and Ruth Woolson Laning’53 both graduated from Simpson.
Presidential Comments p.16
By R. Kevin LaGree
Looking Ahead—Making Plans
After developing the college’s strategic plan in 1999-2000, President LaGree states that it became clear that a long-range look at the development of the college’s facilities was much needed. As a result, in the spring of 2001, the college hired the
Simpson looks to its future p.17-21
A look around the Simpson campus reflects the true character of the college: Tradition, care, nurturing, a classical foundation, preservation of heritage, a progressive spirit, community involvement, individual attention—all aptly describe the physical nature of
Sports at Simpson p.22-25
By Sara Opie
Football: New Season, new coach—Under the leadership of a new coach, the Storm ended the season with a 6-4 record overall, a 6-3 IIAC record and won four of the last five games. Coach Jay Niemann comes to Simpson from the
Women’s Golf: The winning looks easy—The women’s golf team had a lot of success and national publicity this season. The Storm women won the Iowa Conference for the eighth time in the past 11 years, making such an achievement look easy for this young team. Another highlight of the Storm golf season was Junior Senta Willenborg being featured in the “Faces of the Crowd” column of the October 24 issue of Sports Illustrated.
Women’s Tennis: Winning spirit—The Simpson women’s tennis team hoped to finish third in the IIAC conference this year but ended up in fifth. In spite of that, Head Coach Bob Nutgrass said it was a successful season with a 12-5 finish overall and 9-5 finish in the IIAC.
Men and women’s soccer: Pride and passion—Ending on a high note is a great thing for a coach and his team. The Storm men had an outstanding soccer season with a 15-4-3 overall record, 7-1 Iowa Conference finish and a huge win over #1 seeded Central in tournament action that resulted in a third place finish for Simpson.
Heart and Goal—The Simpson women finished third in the Iowa Conference soccer season this year capping off a tournament where, “the ball didn’t bounce our way,” said head coach Aziz Haffar.
Men and Women’s Cross Country—The men’s team completed the cross country season with a seventh place finish in the IIAC conference. Senior Tony Eckman had a “phenomenal” season, according to his coach. He ran the best time of 26:58 at the conference meet, then went on to run a faster time at regionals with a finish of 26:36.
Volleyball High Hopes—The Storm finished the season with a 6-3 conference record, tied for third place in the IIAC conference and had more than 20 wins during the season.
Touring the Years, p.26-33
1920s—Fay G. Rolfsema Callies ’29 celebrated her 96th birthday on Sept. 9, 2002 in Titonka.
1950s—Arlyn Euken ’59 retired with his wife to
1960s—Bruce Hann ’61 recently retired from Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny after teaching English and Speech for 33 years.
Flora Wood’64 celebrated her 90th birthday on November 4, 2002 in Pleasantville.
Jim Noseworthy ’65 was elected secretary-treasure of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Christian Schools this past February. He also received an honorary degree from
Dr. Robyn Swanson ’68 of
Bill Carper’ 68 has retired after 31 years as classroom teacher and administrator with Murray Community Schools in
Edwin C. Haag’68 retired after 32 years of teaching at Cedar Rapids Community Schools.
The Reverend
M. Wayne Clark ’69 of
1970s—Jim Kelly ’70 participated in the 2002 Summer Iowa Games where he won a gold medal in the shot put, age group 55-59.
Linda Hickman Penly Miskel ’71 recently opened the Stone Haus Bed and Breakfast with her husband, Larry Miskel, in
Thomas Simmons ’72 is principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Math and Science in
Eric Youngberg ’72 was appointed to the Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in
Denis Hildreth ’74 has recently been inducted into the Iowa High School Speech Association Hall of Fame. In 2000 Hildreth was selected as the National Federation Interscholastic Speech and Debate Educator award sectional recipient. He was only the third Iowan to be selected for this honor.
Jeanne Larrison Zemarel ’78 is a customer service representative for America West Airlines at
1980s—Lanny J. Johnk ’82 is director of operations/scheduling for Tyson/IBP Corporate in Dakota Dunes, SD.
Fritz G. Polite ’82 is associate director for University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management Program in Orlando, FL. Polite is also a member of the North American Society for Sports Management and Internal Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance, and co-founded the European American Football Coaches Association.
James Todd ’83 is a claims manager at IMT Insurance Company in
Greg Hancock ’84 & Brad Jones ’84 competed in the Men’s Masters 800-meter run final at the 93rd Drake Relays in April of 2002.
Kathy Reece Johnson ’85 and her husband, Randy, are the pastors of the
Kathy Sommerfeld Gedler ’87 recently received her Master’s in Education from
Eileen Velharticky Larance ’87 is an enterprise software trainer for JD Edwards in
Brian Parrott ’87 is a marketing services manager for Allsteel Inc. in
Jerry Roth ’87 received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and recently received a master’s degree in school administration from
Kip B. Janvrin ’88, Central Missouri’s track coach, recently completed a world best in
Ken Barloon ’89 been promoted from vice-president to senior vice president and chief financial officer at Communications Data Services Inc. in
1990s—Lynn E. Ochiltree ’90 is owner/manager of Ochiltree Funeral Service and Aftercare in Winterset. Ochiltree was recently installed as the secretary/treasurer of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association.
Beth Cummins Postigo ’90 is a board certified music therapist in
Jeff Wilson ’90 is the marketing manager for Firestone Ag. Tires in
Scott Foughty ’91 is assistant director for the Hy-Vee Food Store in
Michael Kellar ’91 recently received the “Order of Merit,” the highest award an alumnus can receive from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. It denotes outstanding service to the local chapter, the campus and to the International Fraternity.
John Louk ’91 is pastor of the newly created Easter Lake Methodist New Church Development in
Kristina Carlson Sickels ’91 is the division director working in the
Ellen Baugher Day ’92 is an Internet production consultant for Hewitt Associates in
J. Brent Gavin ’92 is a business instructor for Des Moines Public Schools.
Teresa Lyn Wolf Hughes ’92 is a first grade teacher for Sidney Community Schools.
Tammy Hurley Ingels ’92 recently received her master’s degree in English from the
Steven Jacobsen ’92 is a self-employed carpenter for Jacobsen Construction in
Kelli Rahlf Jauron ’92 works out of her home as a project manager for Carlisle Communications in
Michelle Allen Johnson ’92 is a high school math teacher at George-Little Rock High School in George.
Ross Junge ’92 vice-president/portfolio manager of Amerus Capital Management in
Kim Heifner Lewiston ’92 is a fourth grade teacher in
Dixie Duvall Miller ’92 is systems analyst for CH2Mhill in
David C. Smith ’92 is an attorney for the law offices of David Smith, PLLC in
Stephen VanBuren ’92 is a surgeon at McFarland Clinic in
Donna Jo Wallace ’92 is a substitute teacher for the Des Moines Public Schools.
Leigh Rose McGivern ’93 is a public relations manager at the Integer Group in
Scott Richardson ’93 is president and owner of Richardson Fitness, Inc. in West St.Paul, MN.
Alison Beaver River ’93 is working as a family service counselor at
Laura Surber ’93 works as a naturalist for Warren County Conservation Board and works on a ranch where she lives in southern
Theresa Cannon DeWitt ’94 is an academic advisor at
Alison Hayes Foughty ’94 is a chiropractor for Iowa Health Systems, Center for Health and Well Being in
Roberto Mancusi ’94 is pursuing a career in opera performance while working towards a DMA in vocal performance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Jenn Peterson ’94 works at Wachovia Securities, is the co-convener of Lakeview Coalition of Welcoming Churches and is an active member of
Mark Pfeiffer ’94 is associate vice-president for finance at
Brad Bridgewater ’95 recently received a master’s in education from the
Cindy Sanders Dilliner ’95 works at
April Vorm Beckett ’96 is a programmer analyst III at Highmark Pennsylvania Blue Shield in
Carrie Hickman Belt ’96 is a first grade teacher at
Dawn Soloth Ediger ’96 teaches gifted education and 7th grade English for the Treynor Community Schools in Treynor.
Nathan Jensen ’96, district manager of Vector Marketing Corporations in
JoAnn Ehler Rasmussen ’96 is an independent team leader and independent beauty consultant and recruiter with Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Michelle Dirks Anderson’97 is a senior accountant at
Christine Gardner Brandt ’97 is a CPA at Learning Curve International in
Jody Bunn Bridgewater ’97 is project director at The Arc of East Central Iowa in
Sara Bucknam ’97 is a school counselor at
Matthew Chance ’97 is a teacher and athletic director for
Joe Cockrell ’97 manages public relations for the 16 branches of the YMCA in
Cori Keeton ’97 joined the public relations team of Barnhart/CMI Marketing in
Ryan Lewis ’97 is a teacher at Northeast Community Schools in
Brad Melvin ’97 is production manager at Pella Corporation in
Amy Nielsen Miller ’97 is an eighth grade teacher for the Brainerd Schools in
James Poole ’97 recently received a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from
Corbette Cavanagh Roberts ’97 is a researcher in the cancer lab at Mayo Clinic in
Dana Sleezer ’97 owns and operates a family-owned farming operation, Sleezer Select Stock, in Aurelia.
Serra Johnson Dewey ’98 is the employee development and human resources manager/assistant vice president with Highland Bank in
Angela Hoctel Johnson ’98 is a special education teacher at
Staci Peiffer Mancusi ’98 operates a home childcare center in
Jeremy Oltman ’98 works for Pella Corporation in
Emily Lynn Pfeffer ’98 received her MBA with a concentration in marketing from
Tyler Cerveny ’99 is head varsity basketball coach for
Nicholas Dewey ’99, CPA, is senior analyst in business risk management services at United Health Group in
Shawn Farrar ’99 is currently a master of music candidate at the
Michelle Fowler ’99 is head softball coach at
Becky Hirschman ’99 is head athletic trainer at
Jennifer Main ’99 is a reporter at the Creston News Advertiser in Creston.
Anne Peterson ’99 of
Shannon Combs Strickler ’99 recently graduated from
2000s – Paul Bloomquist ’00 is a member of the “Nate and the Moonlighters” a 50s and 60s band.
Jennifer Briles ’00 is a high school music teacher for the Waukee Community Schools in Waukee.
Brook Christianson Byars ’00 is employed by the city of
Tyler Kamerman ’00 is a residential sales representative with Pella Windows in
Nate Lester ’00 is in graduate school at Cleveland Chiropractic College of Kansas City, MO.
Marty Princehouse ’00 is the inventory manager at the Onthank Co. in
Kara Van Nordstrand Abens ’01 is a marketing coordinator at Iowa Savings Bank in
Amy Hoyle Burgess ’01 of Clive ran a 26-mile marathon for the Leukemia Foundation at Disney World in
Jennifer Bellon Couchman ’01 is an accounting agent for NZMP (USA) in Allerton. NZMP is a worldwide supplier of milk proteins and other dairy-based ingredients.
Erin Gobel French ’01 attends the
Tracy Franks Gillespie ’01 is a graduate student in public health at the
Bethanie Hershberger Hawkins ’01 of Coralville, is a project director for NCS Pearson and is working towards an MBA.
Lecia Paul Lampe ’01 is marketing manager for Newell/Rubbermaid in
Dana Scott ’01 is a health systems analyst for Segal Corporation in
Katherine Snyder-Princehouse ’02 is youth services program manager for The Homestead in Runnells.
Tara Biggerstaff Raymond ’02 works in sales and is a computer programmer in
Amber Harrington Severin ’02 is a commercial underwriter for Allied Insurance in
Mindy Thomas ’02 is an advertising assistant for Homemakers Furniture in
Brianne Trease ’02 is an account executive for The Des Moines Register in
Leah Van Maaren ’02 is worship/ministry teams coordinator for
Family Weekend: Three generations of the Harris family, p.27
Feder enjoys role as Saint, p.29
Mike Feder ’73 works as the director of regional sales and marketing for the New Orleans Saints. Feder is in charge of establishing media deals with radio stations, television channels and newspapers. Since his days at Simpson’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon house he’s been interested in the behind-the-scenes aspect of sports and took this interest and developed it into a very credible and rewarding career.
Alumni News, p.34
Area Alumni Events 2003
Faculty Notes, p.35
Professor of music Ron Albrecht’s new CD recording titled “Silver” with flautist Sandra Wacha is now out and available by contacting him or the Simpson bookstore. He also received a composition commission from the Music Teachers National Association.
Dan Bauer, assistant professor of English, wrote an essay titled, “Speaking Matters: Liberation Theology, Rhetorical Performance and Social Action,” which has been accepted for publication in the June 2003 issue of College Composition and Communication.
John Benoit, associate professor of music, recently had two original jazz compositions for trombone quartet—“Elbow Grease” and “Mr. Twister”—accepted for publication by TAP Music Sales.
Tricia Calkins, assistant professor of German, gave a presentation at the annual conference of the Iowa World Language Association in
Amy Doling, assistant professor of biology, gave a seminar at
Jennifer Hedda, assistant professor of history, presented a paper titled, “The Role of the Orthodox Church in the Formation of Civic Society in Late Imperial Russia” at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies.
James Kim, instructor of music, was selected and invited as one of 18 conducting fellows for the Chicago Conducting Workshop and Master Class, which was held from Oct. 10-13, in
An essay by Gary Kinkel, associate professor of religion, “Jesus Projects: A Theological Critique,” has been published in the most recent edition of the journal Quaker Religious Thought.
Robert Larsen, professor of music, conducted a seminar on audition techniques for singers and a master class for singers and pianists at the
Bob Nutgrass, associate professor of physical education, was a presenter at this year’s state convention of the Iowa Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance at the
The US Department of the Interior US Geological Survey’s Information and Technology Report 2002-2004, “A Field Guide to Amphibian Larvae and Eggs of Minnesota,
Tobias Winright, assistant professor of religion, presented a paper “From Death Penalty to Life: The Liturgy as a Source for Reform” (with Dr. Allyne Smith), at the conference, “From Death to Life: Agendas for Reform,” at the University of Notre Dame, sponsored by the
David Wolf, instructor of English, had six poems published in the September issue of “Short Stuff,” a journal devoted to poetry in short forms.
Tom Woldt, associate professor of theatre arts, has been elected vice chair and chair-elect for region V of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Starting in the spring semester, he will serve a three-year term as vice chair, overseeing the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions and assisting the chair with planning and logistics for the Region V festival, planning activities, coordination of regional respondents and financial matters, and will serve as the representative of Region V to the national festival and committee at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. One of the eight regions across the country, Region V includes eight states in the
New Faces, p.36
Sandy Condon joined the admissions staff as a receptionist. Before coming to Simpson, Condon worked as an office manager at
Amy Doling has joined the science department as assistant professor of biology. Previously, Doling was a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate at
Michael Duke has joined the music department as instructor of music. Prior to his hire, Duke was a graduate student at
Steve Ellens ’96 has been hired as assistant men’s basketball coach, freshman academic athletic liaison and to assist with athletic marketing. Ellens coached and taught English and journalism at
John F. Fry has joined the history department as assistant professor of history. Previously, Fry spent five years as a graduate instructor of history at the
James Kim has been hired as a vocal music instructor. Prior to joining the Simpson faculty, Kim was pursuing a doctorate at the College Conservatory of Music,
Neal Nelsen ’01 has joined the athletic department where he will be working with the athletic trainers. Prior to his hire at Simpson, Nelsen was a substitute physical education teacher at
Michael Norris ’02 has been hired in the admissions office as an admissions counselor for southwest
Jin Young (Jean) Park has joined the music department as instructor of musical accompaniment and piano. Previously, Park was earning her doctorate in piano performance and pedagogy at the
Duff Ridgeway has joined the college of advancement office as director of gift planning. Ridgeway was director of planned giving at
Kim E. Samek has joined the business department as an instructor of accounting. Previously, Samek worked as a Certified Public Accountant at Price Waterhouse Coopers and as a CPA with the Department of Justice, both in
Eun Hee Shin has been hired as assistant professor of religion. Dr. Shin was a visiting assistant professor of religion at
Ken Smith has joined the student development staff as area coordinator for Kresge and Barker Halls. Prior to his hire at Simpson, Smith was a residence hall director at
Charles Thomas, who will graduate from Simpson in 2003, has been named telecommunication and network technician in the information services office.
Ashley Tilka has been hired as assistant director of annual giving and alumni programs in the department of college advancement. Tilka worked as calendar editor at Cityview.
Adam Voigts has been hired as assistant vice president for business services/controller. Previously, Voigts worked as public accountant for Grant Thornton in
Andy Walker ’02 has joined the athletic department as assistant baseball coach and recruitment coordinator.
Denise Wichman has been hired as secretary in alumni relations. Previously, Wichman worked as a secretary in an elementary school in
Simpson Magazine
Spring 2003
Simpson Briefly
Campus Day task force appointed p.2
President R. Kevin LaGree wants the Simpson community to take a fresh look at Campus Day. He has appointed a task force, chaired by Professor Ron Warnet, chemistry, to study “one of Simpson’s most important traditions.”
LaGree elected to NCAA task force p.2
President LaGree has been elected as vice-chair of the president’s council for NCAA Division III.
Promoting Diversity is goal of new gifts p.3
New gifts to
Simpson opens center in
Van Buren and Hansell named to board p.3
Steve Van Buren’92 and Jordan Hansell, an attorney with Nyemaster Law Firm in
Business Horizons finds new home at Simpson p.4
By Jennifer Whitham
Clarence Morgan,
Metro Drama teaching high school theatre is calling for three Simpson alumni p.5
By Jennifer Whitham
Denis Hildreth ’74, Robin Vanderhoef ’75 and Cary Shapiro ’76 are teachers of high school drama and theatre in three of Des Moines’ biggest high schools, Lincoln High School, Hoover High School and Ankeny High School.
“Indie” Rebel p.6-11
By Michael Adams
United Artists President Bingham Ray ’76 puts his contrarian nature to good use as an independent film guru.
Fifteen weeks in the White House p.12-14
By Michael Adams
Political science major Garrett Piklapp spent fifteen weeks in the White House as an intern in the office of public liaison. This office is one of four politically oriented departments overseen by Karl Rove, senior advisor to President George W. Bush and strategic architect of the GOP’s stunning political success in the last midterm elections.
Malless publishes third “word book” p. 15
By Jennifer Whitham
Stan Malless, associate professor of education recently saw his third book on the words of the English language published. This past January, W.W. Norton published “Coined by God,” which Malless c-authored with Jeffrey McQuain.
Walking the walk: Simpson faculty and staff find rewards living their faiths in their daily lives p.16-17
By
Owen Duncan, professor of history and a United Church of Christ member; Jim Thorius, vice-president of student affairs and a Presbyterian; Ron Warnet, professor of chemistry and a United Church of Christ member; Kathy Witzenburg, an administrative assistant for the faculty in Wallace Hall and a member of the Disciples of Christ are some of the people whose lives exemplify Simpson’s mission statement, which reads “…the Judaeo-Christian tradition and the Methodist Church…guide members of the…community on issues of personal integrity, moral responsibility, social justice, and citizenship.”
Alumni News
Hall of Fame inductees named p.18
Christina Wickering Cunningham ’92 triumphed in both cross-country and track when she was a student at Simpson. She was a four-year letter winner in cross-country and a three-year letter winner in track. While at Simpson, she set five school records in track and still holds the second quickest time in the history of the cross-country program. Cunningham graduated with a degree in art. She is now the head cross-country coach at
Rose Michels Grover ’93 is Simpson’s only three-time all-American in volleyball and in 1992 she was named first team all-American. She graduated from Simpson with a degree in biology in 1993.
Kelly Sheda Wensel ’93 earned numerous all-conference, all-American and MVP honors as a member of the
Double S and Buxton awardees announced p.19
Steve McGraw ’69 is boys’ basketball, golf and tennis coach and teacher for the Waterloo Community schools. McGraw is an accomplished baseball umpire and has officiated at the state tournament several times. While at Simpson he received his degree in physical education. He was involved in baseball and basketball, was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and made the dean’s list.
Joel Shaner ’68 is retiring this year after a 35-year career as a history and social studies teacher for the
Bob Sallee is the owner of Bob’s Custom Trophies in Indianola. He works closely with the Simpson athletic department on all of the plaques and trophies. He was an inaugural member of the Simpson Gold Club and has been an active member of the board of directors. He is also a President’s Society member at
Sports at Simpson p.20-22
Men’s Basketball--Crossing the line between winning and losing: The Storm men lost seven of their nine games on the road during the 2002-2003 season. With a 14-12 record overall and a 9-9 record in the IIAC, Bruce Wilson, head basketball coach, said his team had a season of close but not cigar situations.
Women’s Basketball—Conference champs but no tournament title: The Simpson women’s basketball team won their fourth
Swimming—First year as conference sport: The swimming season marked its first year as a conference sport in IIAC competition. The Storm women finished fifth at the
Wrestling—Everybody’s All-Americans: Three Simpson wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division III national wrestling championships this year and two were named all-Americans.
Men and Women’s Indoor Track—The young and the dedicated: The men and women’s track team had a good, solid indoor season according to their coach.
Presidential Comments p.23
By R. Kevin LaGree
The satisfaction of transforming lives
A deeper satisfaction comes from rediscovering what we seek for every student today is the same as those who preceded us worked for in their day.
Touring the Years p.24-31
1930s—Mildred Chambers Wynes ’34 recently celebrated her 92nd birthday with family and friends in Albia.
Ruth Sheppard Schultz ’35 celebrated her 90th birthday on Oct. 12, 2002.
1940s—Robert Day ’49 and Clarice Shawman Day ’49 of
1950s—Phillip Hunget ’54 and Connie Lembke Hunget ’56 enjoy working security for the Iowa Hawkeye basketball games in Iowa City; both are retired teachers.
Robert Calhoun ’55 has been elected chairman of SCORE, Service Corps of Retired Executives, in
Dennis Crabtree ’56 of
1960s—Jim Noseworthy ’69 is the 21st president of Hiwasee College in Madisonville, TN. Hiwasee is a two-year private college related to the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church.
1970s—John Pehrson ’72 recently received his doctor of ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In January of 2003 he became pastor of Sunrise Presbyterian Church in
Judy Fierce Pehrson ’72 will teach guided reading in the
Kathy Worster ’72 of
Linda Robbins ’75 worked for the IRS for 30 years retiring in 1999. She worked at the IRS part-time while attending Simpson and got credit for working and taking a tax course and writing about it.
John Arthur ’77 has served as senior pastor for the past five years of the
Mark Miller ’79 was recently named Johnston Business Person of the Year by the Johnston Chamber of Commerce.
Steven Stolen ’79 is director of development and capital gifts at
1980s—Fritz Polite’82 is a professor at the
Rondelle Reed ’82 is manager for advanced selling at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in
Amy Usher Gregston ’87 and Bryan Gregston ’87 are involved with the diabetes advocacy. They represented
Ruthann Wilson Burkman ’88 is a guidance counselor at
Jody Gray ’88 of Thornburg, is superintendent of Tri-County Community Schools.
1990s—Matthew Kaldenberg ’90 owns Kaldenburg Landscaping in
Eric D. Argo ’92 is a partner in the law firm of Abrahams, Kaslow and Cassman.
Ann Wagner Dieleman ’92 received her master’s degree from
Sarah Berkson Turell ’92 of Maitland, FL., is office manager for The Cameron Group, a geriatric care management company.
Jay Byers ’93 is
Lisa Trewin ’93 is a K-5 music director at Purple Sage elementary school in
Rob Beeler ’94 has been promoted from senior benefit consultant to partner at Benefit Source, Inc.
Jonathan P. Anderson ’95 has joined Optometric Associates in Indianola as an optometrist.
Maurio D. Coleman ’96 has been police officer in Clive since 1997.
Pete Waltz ’96 recently graduated from
Joe Cockerell ’97 is assistant director of university communications at
David Siestra ’97 is a partner in the CPA firm of Van Maanen and Associates, P.C. in
Nancy Brosemer ’98 is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology from
Kyle Proctor ’98 has joined Hetrick Communications Inc. in
Christopher Torrents ’99 has received a master’s degree in Chinese and Japanese History from the
2000s – Jane Jorgensen ’00 graduated with a master’s degree in sports health care in
Holly Reid ’00 recently received her master’s degree in criminal justice from
Adam Shepherd ’00 is a Midwest region territory sales manager for Managing Editor Inc., a software company in
Erin Gobel French ’01 of
Megan Jameson ’01 is assistant women’s basketball coach at
Noseworthy assumes presidency of
Dr. James Noseworthy ’69 was recently named the 21st president of
The past and future of Simpson
Paul Eggers a 1932 graduate of Simpson College, letter winner, inductee in the Simpson Hall of Fame, president of the S Club, all-conference first team, member of Alpha Tau Omega and great grandfather, taught accounting at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for more than 27 years.
Life trustee
Marion McDowell Coons, an honorary life member of the Simpson College Board of Trustees, died of a stroke on Jan. 26, 2003 at The Village in Indianola.
Department head changes p.31
Carole Richardson, instructor of education, will assume duties as the head of the education department, replacing Jackie Crawford, professor of education.
In the foreign language department Mark Bates, associate professor of Spanish will step down s department chair and Tricia Calkins, assistant professor of German will take his place. Rick Spellerberg, associate professor of mathematics will take over for Bill Dunning, professor of mathematics, as department chair. In the department of management, accounting and economics, Tom Schmidt, associate professor of management, will replace Marilyn Mueller, professor of management, as chair of the department.
Sociology Awards p.31
Three Simpson students won student-paper competitions at the Iowa Sociological Association conference. Sophomore criminal justice major Kate Guillen won the Mary Alice Erickson Award for Best Paper by a first year or sophomore student. Seniors Trisha Fry and Courtney Stiles won the W. Ward Reynoldson Award for Best Paper in Criminal Justice on Deviance.
Faculty Notes p.32
Jackie Brittingham, assistant professor of biology, served on a panel to review grant proposals submitted to the Natural Science Foundation’s Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program that will serve as a basis for funding decisions made by the NSF. Michael Duke, instructor of music, presented a clinic titled, “Saxophone Essentials” to
Simpson Magazine
Summer 2003
Faculty Notes p.2
Professor of Music Ron Albrecht’s new composition for saxophone and piano, “
Simpson Briefly
Benoit’s Way p.3
By Jennifer Whitham-Johnson
John Benoit, associate professor of music, finds using computers a great way to compose music. Benoit has written and arranged music via computer for about six years but is also prolific at the traditional method of composing with pencil and paper.
Art and social justice take student to
By Michael Adams
Gertrude Blom lived among the Lacondon Indians of Chiapas from 1940-1980 and in the process amassed a collection of 55,000 photographic negatives of the Mayan descendents, a people who continue to live in a mountainous region of southern
Jane Kvetko prefers “transitioning” to retirement p.5
By Matt DeWolf
Professor of social work Jane Kvetko didn’t retire—she’s transitioning. Kvetko has been teaching at Simpson for 21 years and said that it’s just time to move on to something different. She’s been involved in a number of different areas while at Simpson, but one she has really enjoyed was her involvement in the chain gang football games.
Sustaining the future: Gary Valen has become one of the nation’s foremost advocates of sustainable agriculture p.6-7
By Jennifer Whitham-Johnson
Simpson alumnus and Humboldt, Iowa native Gary Valen ’60 is one such individual working to call attention to the virtues of sustainable agriculture. Valen was a history instructor at Simpson for 12 years and later served as dean of students before leaving the college in 1984. He is currently director of operations at
“Getting” Anthrax p.8-9
By Lisa Golly
Amy Doling, assistant professor of biology, ‘gets’ anthrax. She understands how it works and is among a group of researchers who one day hope to reduce its danger. She says anthrax is not a very efficient biological weapon. In her opinion, the anthrax spores have to be desiccated or dried to a very specific size to be dispersed effectively, then the spores must be inhaled in order to germinate in the lungs.
Commencement 2003 p.11-12
Yet again this year, the weather was near perfect and about 4,000 family members and friends all gathered in
Jazz in available light p.13-17
By Michael Adams
A native of
Alumni News
A step back in time p.18-20
In keeping with Alumni Weekend 2003’s theme, “A Step Back In Time,” the annual event proved to be just that for the 140 alumni in attendance June 19-21.
Presidential Comments p.21
By R. Kevin LaGree
Simpson Experience imbued with ‘love’s wisdom’
In his commentary, President LaGree describes and defines the very importance of the Simpson Experience, which is filled with love’s wisdom.
Sports at Simpson p.23-24
By Sara Opie
Men and Women’s Outdoor Track: Coach Tim Byers led the men to a sixth place finish in the conference, their highest finish since 1998 and the women to an eighth place finish, an improvement over last year.
Women’s Golf: The whole season was fairly exciting for the Storm golfers. After winning the conference, the team was seeded fourth going into the NCAA golf championships in
Softball: Rain was to blame for the complete cancellation of a double-header varsity game. It came at a pivotal time in the season for the Storm. The way the conference rules are set currently, the only way games can be made up due to weather is to play within 24 hours and at the same site. So the Storm didn’t finish as well as they had hoped but did better than most this season. Despite a 31-4-1 record, they were not invited to the NCAA Division III softball national tournament. They finished 12-3-1 in the conference and placed fourth in the conference tournament.
Baseball: Head Baseball Coach John Sirianni was pleased with the outcome of the Storm’s 24-19 season record and 12-9 conference record. The team finished second in the Iowa Conference Tournament, which put them third overall in the IIAC.
Men’s Tennis: The Simpson men finished their tennis season with a 9-9 record overall, a 9-5 conference record and a fourth place finish at the IIAC tournament in
Touring the Years p.25-30
1940s—Maxine Smith Weinman ’49 recently retired after serving 25 years as curator of the National Ballon Museum in Indianola.
1950s—Lloyd Anderson ’55 is Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture at
1960s—Tom Gruis ’60 of
Mary Ann Wolf Johnson ’61 retired from Guilford County Schools in
Tom C. Murr ’63 retired from teaching in July 2002 after teaching and coaching for 37 years.
1970s—Royal Corbin ’70 completed post-graduate clinical pastoral education training at Iowa Methodist, Iowa Lutheran and Blank Children’s Hospitals in
Jim Kelly ’70 participated in the Iowa Games and received a Gold Medal in shot put in the 55-59 age division.
Kathy Worster ’72 is vice-president of administration and finance and chief financial officer of
John Tinley ’74 of
Bill Utterback ’76 graduated from Lexington Theological Seminary in
1980s—Joe Morrison ’82 won three awards at the Society of Professional Journalists/Mid-Florida Chapter banquet.
Revita Payne De Chalus ’83 and her husband, Roscoe De Chalus, are both pastors who host a web ministry for people to enhance their Christian growth or to begin their Christian growth.
Elizabeth Koch ’85 teaches voice part-time at
Todd McConville ’86 is part of the cast of “Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical,” a Hell In A Handbag Production, at the
Patrick Hansen ’88 was recently appointed to the newly created tenure-track position at
Abraham T. Morrison ’89 is a Broadway propsman for three shows: “Imaginary Friends” by Nora Ephron, “The Play What I Wrote” directed by Kenneth Brannagh and Long Day’s Journey Into Night” starring Vanessa Redgrave.
Michael Sadler ’89 is director of policy and law for Qwest Communications in
Lori Wallace Wray ’89 is employed part-time at
1990s—Rob Ford ’93 recently received a direct commission to the Iowa Army National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps as a 1st Lieutenant.
Christopher Baas ’97 is an accounting and tax manager and IT consultant at Baas and Associates.
Joe Cockrell ’97 of
Patrea Hill ’97 works as an inside sales representative at Percival Scientific in Perry.
Andrew Norton Isaacson ’97 is branch rental manager for Penske Truck Leasing in
Heather Stevens Willrich ’97 is a first grade teacher for Dallas Center-Grimes.
Ben Carter-Allen ’99 graduated from
Karen Carter-Allen ’99 graduated from
DeeDee Randolph Chance ’99 recently graduated from the
Holly Pfeiffer ’99 recently graduated from
2000s—Mitchell Chance ’00 teaches special education at Albia High School and will coach junior varsity basketball in Albia.
Derek Lord ’00 is program manager at Scholarship America in
Melody Parkins Michaelson ’00 is program coordinator of the Muscular Dystrophy Association in
Meredith Jennings Poole ’00 is web site coordinator for Pi Beta Phi Fraternity in
Joanna Schmolke ’00 is stage manager for Actors Equity Association.
Lisa Glick Darling ’01 is assistant purchasing manager at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. in
Deb Melcher ’01 of
Jeremy Crozier ’02 is high school choir director at