class acts
1920s
Hihon Jones Crow '28,
Tuscon, AZ, recalls entering
Chowan at age 14 and
graduating before she turned
18. Her mother, who already
held a B.S. from UVA, was
teaching at Chowan and
working on a B.A. They
walked down the aisle together
to receive their degrees.
Jean Craddock Lewis '29,
York, PA, just celebrated her
92nd birthday. She writes that
she always enjoys receiving
news from Chowan and reads
everything from cover to cover.
1930s
Jemmle Benton Guyot '32,
Noble, IL, retired in 1965 after
serving many years as a social
worker and community
volunteer. She and her
husband have one great
grandchild.
Merlee Asbell McDonald '36,
Sanford, NC, taught English
and French for 18 years and
special education for 10 years.
She and her late husband,
parented two sons and a
daughter.
Curtis L. Jones Norman '37,
Norfolk, VA, retired after
teaching elementary classes in
the Norfolk City Schools.
Virginia Gardner Becker '38,
Martinsville^ VA, writes, that at
age 78, she is still employed as
a part-time bookkeeper for a
Presbyterian Church. A former
WAVE officer in the Navy
Supply Corps, she and her
husband have three children
and seven grandchildren.
1950s
Nancy Rawls Barden '56, New
Bern, NC, retired in January
from CP&L in New Bern after
38 years of service.
Sarah V. Parker '57, Manila,
Philippines, is serving a foreign
service tour as secretary to the
U.S. Ambassador.
Cartton R. Debnam '59,
Asheville, NC, is a controller
and finance manager. He
volunteers time to Lions and
Elks organizations and has
three children and three
grandchildren.
Elton M. Roberson '59,
Zebulon, NC, retired after
teaching and coaching for
more than 30 years.
Elaine S. Robertson '59,
Nashville, NC, owns Robertson
Realty in Nashville with her
husband, Macon. The couple
has a daughter, a son and one
grandchild.
1960s
Dwight E. Compton '60, Cedar
Grove, NC, is a self-employed
farmer. He and his wife, Betty,
have two sons.
J. Ray Gardner '61, Hamlet,
NC, retired from CSX Railroad
after more than 33 years of
service.
Bonnie White Johnson '61,
Dover, DE, writes, "all is well."
She would love to hear from
classmates via e-mail at
ButchJ108@AOL.COM
Brenda Taylor Perry '61,
Gatesville, NC, teaches
accounting and keyboarding at
Gates County High School.
The grandmother of five,
enjoys cruises.
Terry H. Jones '62, Plymouth,
NC, is a senior minister with
Plymouth First Baptist Church.
Jones first served the same
church in the early 70s. The
father of three was named
Washington County Humanitar
ian of the Year.
Butch Gibson '63, Lexington,
NC, is a retired captain of the
Lexington Police Dept, and a
former NC Law Enforcement
Officer of the Year. Gibson is a
member of the Optimist Club
of Lexington. He led the
Lexington Middle School
football team to eight champi
onships and five undefeated
seasons before retiring. He
and his wife, Judy, have one
daughter.
L. Berkley Lucas '63, Roanoke,
VA, is the director of personnel
for Roanoke County Public
Schools. He and his wife,
Patricia, have two children and
one grandson.
Molly Russell Parker '63,
Selma, NC, was named the
1998 Outstanding Chamber
Board Member of Smithfield-
Selma Area Chamber of
Commerce She was also
named the 1997 Woman of
the Year in the Johnston
Chapter of American Business
Women Association. She has
served 24 years as Executive
Director of United Way of
Johnston County, Smithfield,
N.C.
Bob Ryan '63, Richmond, VA,
taught high school for 32
years, officiated football for 18
years, and hopes to retire in
June 1998 as athletic director.
Ryan and his wife, Raye, have
two children.
John P. Upton '63,
Hillsborough, NC, is working on
a degree at Duke Divinity
School. He looks forward to
working as a minister during
his retirement years.
Michael Jeffers '64, Newport
News, VA, earned a B.S. in
business management with a
minor in computer science at
Christopher Newport Univ. He
is employed as a business
systems consultant. Jeffers
and his wife, Ren^e, have a
son, daughter and one grand
child. He enjoys golf in his
spare time
Jeanette Duncan Meekins '64,
Virginia Beach, VA, is a former
flight attendant for Piedmont
Airlines. She married a retired
U.S. Air pilot. Sonny, and is the
mother of two sons (16, 13).
Meekins sings in a barbershop
chorus and quartet.
Don Matthews '64, Forrest
City, AR, received his master's
from the Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary and is
currently working on his doctor
of ministry degree. Matthews
recently participated in the first
Russian Baptist Pastors
Conference in St. Petersburg,
Russia and has served
churches in Texas, Arizona,
New Mexico and Arkansas. He
and his wife, Mary Ann Crabb
Matthews '65, are the parents
of two children.
Thomas E. St.Clair '64,
Taylorsville, NC, has been
employed by M&M/Mars for 22
years. The account manager
was named the Mid-Atlantic
States Territory Sales Supervi
sor of the Year. He and his
wife Dottie, have two children.
A Sunday School teacher, chair
of his pastor/parrish committee
and administrative board
council member, St. Clair is also
a 32nd degree Mason.
Michael S. Pintz '65, Wakefield,
VA, is employed by Virginia Real
Estate and Development, Inc. of
Ashland, VA
John W. Dunn '66, Gloucester,
VA, retired in October 1996.
He and his wife, Jean, enjoy
tennis and travel. They
celebrated their 30th anniver
sary last year.
Ron Hicks '66, Fredericksburg,
VA, received his J.D. from
University of Richmond Law
School. He and his wife,
Nancy, are the parents of three
children.
Lawrence L. Edwards '67,
Spring Hope, NC, has taught
with the Rocky Mount school
district since 1969. Twice he
Alumni Association board members gathered at Chowan for their first
1998 meeting. Pictured are (first row) Ellen White ‘69, Linda Moore
‘90, Greg English ‘97; (second row) Jeremy Funk ‘97, Richard Zeitz
‘69, President John Settle '83, Raymond Warren ‘66; (third row)
Secretary J^ Grant ‘94, Director of Alumni Services Charlie Aycock,
Vice President Michael Moore ‘92 and Richard Turner '66.
faculty news
Chowan faculty members
nominated for inclusion in the 1998
(Fifth Edition) of Who's Who Among
Americas Teachers include Emily
Deaver, biology, Phyllis Dewar,
chemistry, David Fillingim,
religion, Becky McLawhorn, math,
Danny Moore, history, Bonnie
Revelle, biology, Patsy Taylor,
business, and Peggy Yates,
education. Entry in the publication
is strictly by nomination of
students. Those nominated hold
the common characteristic of having
made a positive difference in the
education and life of a student.
business
Mike Tam successfully defended
his doctoral dissertation, “Exploring
the Impact of Geographic Disper
sion on Information System
Requirements,” in January and
received his Ph.D. in information
systems at Virginia Commonwealth
University May 16.
Patsy Taylor participated as a
preside! in the Fifteenth Annual
Atlantic Coast Business and
Marketing Education Conference in
Raleigh.
education
Chailes Bentley and Joette
Abeyounis, in cooperation with
information technology specialists
Tim Walters and William
Edwards, have begun a series of
technology training sessions for the
science, math and English teachers
at Hertford County High School.
The training sessions are one part
of a Rural Technology Challenge
Partnership funded by the
Technology Literacy Challenge
Fund Grant Program. Henford
County is one of three school
systems in the state receiving
funding through the five-year
grant, which is renewable annually.
Peggy Yates conducted a rwo-
day workshop in reading instruc
tion for teachers at WiUis Hare
Elementary School during April.
health & physical education
Jane Markert wa5 named District
A Network Chair for the North
Carolina HIV/AIDS Network.
One of six districts. District A is
comprised of nine counties in
nonheastern North Carolina.
languages & literature
John Davis presented his paper,
“A Note about a Number: Mark
Twain’s No. 44,” at the 22nd
annual conference of Philological
Association of the Carolinas in
March at Converse College,
Spartanburg, S.C. The paper
addressed the name of the title
character in Mark Twain’s last
novel, No.44, Tht Mysterious
Stranger, unpublished until 1969.
Joyce Elliott attended the
executive council meeting of the
Carolinas Communication
Association in Charlotte during
March. Elliott is the North
Carohna at-large member to the
executive committee and was
named chair for the 1998 Mary E.
Jarrard Prize for undergraduate
papers in communication studies.
Hayden Jones successfully
defended his doctoral dissertation
and received his Ph.D. in romance
languages and literatures from the
University of North Carolina -
Chapel Hill during May.
mathematics
“Generalized LCM Based
Counting Functions,” by Temba
Showhiwa, was accepted for
12