Alumni Happenings
Tradition lives on — alumni return to campus
A tradition of Kings
From father to son, the tradition of Kings
at Chowan College is continuing.
Robert C. King, Jr., class of ’70, attended
Chowan College when men lived in the upper
floors of the Columns Building. His son,
Todd, has just completed his freshman year
at Chowan.
“Yeah, Todd asked me if we had electric
lights when I was a student here,” laughs the
elder King. “He thinks the ’70’s were pre
historic times.”
King, who is vice president of Richmond
Motor Co., Inc. in Richmond, Va., and his
wife, Bonnie, serves as the chairmen of the
Parent’s Advisory Committee. He is also a
member of the Board of VisitOTS at Chowan
College, and chairs the committee on busi
ness and finance.
Bob King has fond memories of Chowan.
He had a room on the second floor of Col
umns, and he remembers when Clifton
Baker speaks
about Federal Reserve
Kemper Baker, Jr., class of ’66, was the
keynote speaker for a Business Forum spon
sored by the department of business this
spring.
Kemper, who is vice president in charge of
education and public relations fw the Fed
eral Reserve Bank in Richmond, Va., spoke
to about 175 students about the role of the
Federal Reserve Bank in regulating the money
supply.
He impressed faculty and staff members
by passing out tiny bags of shredded money
(what the Federal Reserve does to excess
printed bills). As he handed a little bag to one
staff member, he commented, “Oh, that’s
about 80 dollars, just a little gift to you!”.
In his speech, Kemper criticized the Fed
eral Reserve Board’s performance in the
1929 Stock Crash, but he gave the board high
marks fw its recent performance. Baker said
that increasing the money supply in October,
1987, helped to prevent a stock market cor
rection fir^ becoming a major stock market
crash.
Collins, Director of Financial Planning, was
‘Dean’ Collins.
“When we didn’t want to disturb Dean
collins, we stepped out of the window of our
room and walked down the porch. On a warm
day, we could sunbathe on the deck of the
Columns building.”
Bob King, (who looks like he pulled a few
over on Dean Collins back in those days)
says he ‘got into a little mischief. He laugh
ingly recalls that living in the Columns was
like having your own ‘private club’. There
were only 7 or 8 men on the floor, with two
baths.
“1 was lucky to get on that floor! Ifl waited
to sneak out, I could get back in by the fire
escape. The security guard was ‘ Deputy Dog ’
back then.”
Chowan was a little different in the 1970’s
than it is in the 1990’s for son Todd, who
graduated from Fork Union Military Acad
emy as a Cadet Captain, and Commander of
the Honor Guard. He is a member of the
Chowan ACES (Achieving Chowan’s Ex-
Kemper Baker, Jr.
AftCT leaving Chowan, Kemper graduated
&om Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va..
He received the master’s degree in banking
from Rutgers University in New Brunswick,
New Jersey.
He remaiked it’s nice to return to his alma
mater, Chowan, and he would like to return
to speak to students about matters of money
in the future.
cellence through Service) Club, and active in
intramural sports. He will return to Chowan
as a sophomore majoring in business.
Bob King points out the 1970’s were a
difficult time because of the Viet Nam war.
He served in Viet Nam as a hospital corpsman
in the Navy. After Chowan, he attended
Virginia Commonwealth University. Todd
is his only son, and the family now lives in
Richmond, where Bob is involved in civic
activities. He has been a volunteer on a
rescue squad since 1968, is president-elect of
the Kiwanis Club in Richmond, and vice
president for membership of the Alumni
Association of Fork Union, where he is a
graduate, like his son.
“I enjoyed my class reunion at Chowan
last fall,” Bob remembers.
Giving Todd a mischievous grin, he jok
ingly warns his son, “Better not do what I did
when I was here.”
But anyone who knows Bob King, (even
‘Dean’ Collins) will admit, Todd should do
just fine following in his father’s footsteps!
m
Robert C. King, Jr. and son Todd.
Lobbyist Ken Wright talks about government
Professor John Virckler’s government
students learned about the high-pressure,
exciting world of a lobbyist when Ken Wright,
class of ’70, a lobbyist with Southern Strate
gies in Raleigh, returned to Chowan to speak
about that aspect of the United States govern
ment
Ken lobbies for a number of the medical
professions, such as the N. C. Association of
Family P*hysicians in the North Carolina
General Assembly. He told the students that
life as a lobbyist can be a stressful one with
long hours, but good reimbursement
“Politics is so different today from years
past” stated Ken. “I think you as voters need
to know, just about anyone with a million
dollars can get elected to an office in our
country. So much of politics today is adver
tisement and ‘who looks good’.”
After graduating from Chowan, he re
ceived the BA. in history fnxn Wake Forest
University, and now lives in Wake Forest
At a luncheon with several professors and
president emeritus, Bruce E. Whitaker, Ken
recalled his time at Chowan.
“There are so many of the same professors
here that I remember. It’s good to come back
for a visit.”
Ken Wright
Janelle Green has a ‘can do’ attitude in alumni association
Although Janelle Green is one of the busi
est banking executives and volimteer citi
zens of Rocky Mount she is never too busy
to help her alma mater, Chowan College.
A “can do” attitude characterizes her in
volvement in business and community serv
ice.
Janelle is always ready to help Chowan
College, the needy, and young people inter
ested in banking careers.
A 1961 graduate, she is president of the
Chowan Alumni Association after serving as
vice president and a member of the Board of
Directors for many years.
InJuly, 1989,she waselectedadirectorof
Pilot International, an organization whose
goals are to help the handicapped and build
community spirit. Her term as the district
representative for Arkansas and Oklahoma is
for two years.
The attractive, vivacious Chowan alumna
is a charter member of the Luncheon Pilot
Club of Rocky Mount, organized in 1975.
She has held a number of offices and is
currently treasurer.
Members do volunteer work and provide
Lifeline emergency medical support for the
elderly. With200 units, the two Rocky Mount
clubs are the largest sponsoring Lifeline
operation in the state “and almost anywhere,”
Janelle explained.
As a national Pilot board member, Janelle
will attend the Arkansas and Oklahoma state
conventions and the international conven
tion in Nashville, Tenn., in July. She said
nine countries will be represented.
Janelle started at the ground floor in bank
ing in Rocky Mount after earning her associ
ate degree at Chowan and pursuing addi
tional studies at East Carolina University.
Combining enthusiasm andcreativity with
a positive outlook, she has steadily climbed
the ladder to her present position of senior
vice president and manager of Pioneer Capi
tal Investments in Rocky Mount.
She recently told business students to be
eager to perform any job given them. “Never
say no to opportunties,” she declared.
Janelle said she greatly valued her Chowan
education which had prepared her for a ca
reer in banking and sharpened her vision of
serving others.
“When you leave this college you will say
you’re proud you came to Chowan.”
Clu>wpm Todsy—^June, 1990—PAGE 13