tw
Achumba the Athlete, Achumba
the Officer, Achumba the
Worker.
Walter Iheanyi Achumba, star
defenseman for the Belmont
Abbey College Crusaders, has
proven to be a rare jewel in the
Abbey Soccer Program.
Born 23 years ago in Ekive,
Nigeria, Walter excelled in
many sports at Stella Maris High
School, among them the pole
vault, the long jump, and the
sprint. However, soccer was his
first love. Having played since
he was able to take his first step,
the Abbey soccer standout was
named captain of his soccer
team at Stella Maris for three
consecutive years.
From his brother, Obinna
Achumba, who graduated from
U.N.C. at Charlotte, Walter
learned of Belmont Abbey
College; he made plans to attend
in 1967. Unfortunately, civil war
broke out in his Nigerian
homeland. At the age ol
eighteen, Achumba joined the
Biafran Army, serving as a
Lieutenant. In 1970 the hostilities
ceased, and Walter once again
made plans to attend the Abbey.
Because the first letter Walter
received from Coach Stanley
Dudko took three months to be
delivered, Achumba did not
reach Belmont Abbey until
March of 1971. The semester was
already in progress when he
arrived, so he stayed in
The Rev. John P. Bradley, President of Belmont Abbey College,
shows Achumba and his soccer coach, Stanley Dudko, the many
letters he has written to the Nigerian Embassy in an effort to
bring Achumba’s wife, Nenna, into the United States.
The Many Lives Of Walter Achumba
Charlotte with his brother
Obinna, who at that time was
studying for his master’s degree
in geography.
The day Walter reported for
his first soccer practice at the
Abbey will always be a
memorable one. He later
recalled, “It was so cold that day
I had to wear long johns and a
track suit, and still I wasn’t able
to practice for long.’’
In 1972, despite the strain of
practicing from 3 til 5 everyday,
working from 6 til 10 at night,
and maintaining a straight “B”
average, Achumba showed his
opponents that he was a men to
be reckoned with. Few players
have ever contributed so much to
an Abbey soccer team as has
Walter Achumba, and the team’s
future shines that much brighter
whenever Achumba steps ontc
the field of play.
Last season Achumba cap
tured a berth on the 1971
National Association of In
tercollegiate Athletics District 26
All-Star Soccer Team and made
the All-NAIA Region Tour
nament Team. He became
eligibie to be chosen for this
team when the Abbey Crusaders
reached the finals in Dunn, N.C.,
by defeating St. Bernard’s
College of Alabama.
Achumba’s life has not been
easy. While attending Central
Piedmont Community College,
he carried 18 quarter hours and
worked at Charlotte Memorial
Hospital from 10:00 p.m. until
7:00 a.m. From there he walked
directly to school, where his
classes lasted till 4:00 p.m.
Yet, this can’t be compared
with his experience in the army,
which included a period as a
prisoner of war. “I found myself
between death and life. The
couple of days I passed in the
guard-room, with the normal
ordeal and torture, gave me the
courage to face every situation.
These can’t be compared to the
threat of being shot or burned
alive. All was overcome with
courage. Even the war days
when one spent up to a week
March 1973 - CROSSROADS - Page 3
without food, feeding on nothing
but raw cassava, if he could find
any, contributed a lot towards
my adaptation to situations.” He
is happy the war is over and
things are coming back to
normal. He hopes to go back
home to help his people when he
is graduated.
“Another reason for my
being able to make it is that
Belmont Abbey is one of the rare
colleges where you can find such
friendly people-faculty, staff,
administration, and students;
people who listen to your
problems both academic and
otherwise, people from whom
you can hope for a helping hand.
I have talked to students from
other schools, and they are
always surprised when I tell
them how extraordinarily happy
I find myself in this school.” This
has minimized his feeling of
homesickness. He still
sometimes feels badly when he
misses his family, but he tries to
endure it.
His wife, Nenna, an “A”
graduate of Ouim Girls Hig
School, has been accepted at th
Abbey. Mr. Achumba is aJ
filiated with the First Unite
Methodist Church in Belmon
The church and its Pastor, Re
Garland Young, are helping hi
to bring his wife to the Unit
States. He has strong relatio ,
with the families of Mr. and
Mrs. Ernst Hostettler, who are,
respectively, professors at
Johnson C. Smith University and
■Queen’s College in Charlotte,
and with the Rev. and Mr. Floyd
Peterson of Little Rock A.M.E.
Zion Church in Charlotte.
While Achumba has earned a
full academic scholarship from
Belmont Abbey College, the
Hostettlers also contribute
toward his support, while the
Petersons do every other thing
one’s family would do for him.
“All these people help me feel
more at home,” he said.
(ALUMNI NEWS, Contd.)
children live in Stanley, N.C.
Steve DoIIey is an attorney in
Gastonia, where he and Julia
and their five children live.
Robert Bertram is president of
Williams & Shelton Co. in
Charlotte. William Balthls is a
machinist with Klutz Machine
Co. in Gastonia. Tom Bain is a
physician in Crozet, Va., where
he and Ruth and their seven
children live. Harold Cauble is
an air pollution Iwgienist with
the Mecklenburg County (N.C.)
Health Department in Charlotte.
Jacob Thorpe is a dentist in.
Charlotte. Patrick Norton is
personnel officer for the State of
North Carolina and he and Ruth
and their five children live in
Raleigh. Norman Moore is a
dentist in Norfolk, Va.
’49"Lloyd Stewart is market
representation manager for
Ford Marketing Corporation in
Gastonia. He and Jean have
three children. John O’Donoghue
is a salesman with Federal
Paper Board Co. in Montvale,
N.J. He and Suzanne and their
three children live in Darien,
Conn. Kenneth Gaither is a
shipping clerk with Pharr Yarns
in McAdenville. Bill Williamson
is an investment banker in
Charlotte and vice president of
Reynolds Securities, Inc. DeWitt
Beatty, Jr. owns a real estate
and insurance business in Mt.
Holly, N.C. Charles Gold-
sborough is an optometrist in
Culpepper, Virginia, where he
and Marilyn and their five
children live. Jack Sherry is
technical assistant with the
American Red Cross Blood Bank
in Norfolk.
’50—Clifford Moose owns
Moose Motor Mart in Gastonia.
Dan Gunter is president-
treasurer of Smith Textile Apron
Co. in Gastonia and is also a
member of the Advisory Board
of Belmont Abbey College.
Harvie Curlee is chief plant and
equipment engineer of Talon
Zipper Co. in Stanley, N.C. Paul
Loehr is with Aetna Casualty &
Surety Co. in Richmond, where
he and Marian and their four
children live.
’51—Wells McConnell is a
chemist and production
manager for Sou-Tex Chemical
Co. in Mt. Holly, N.C. Sidney
Sellers operates Westvaco, an oil
refinery in Charleston, S.C.
’52--GeraId Slnkow owns The
Famous Mart in Charlotte.
’53-Jerry Cooke owns The
Hobby House in Blacksburg, S.C.
where he and Shirley and their
four children live. John Camp
bell is an attorney in In
dependence, Va. He and, Susie
have three children.
’54-Father Kieran Nellson is
pastor of St. Michael’s Church in
Gastonia. Ken Tanner is news
and sports director of Radio
WRGM in Richmond. Ken also
spends time as a basketball
official.
’55-Enjoyed the letter from
Dr. Jim Quinn, director of
nuclear medicine at Nor
thwestern Memorial Hospital in
Chicago. Jim will be honored
in April when he will be made an
Honorary Fellow of the Royal
College of Surgeons-Faculty of
Radiology in Ireland and will
present the Triennial Memorial
Lecture in Dublin. It was good to
see Eugene Kusterer when he
stopped by the Abbey the last of
October. He has been teaching in
California. Nesbit Hollis is
principal of East Gaston High
School. Frank Watkins is
assistant vice president of the
Bank of Belmont.
’56-James Cole is a postal
clerk in Gastonia. He and
Katherine have three children.
’57-Bob Curran is a partner in
the law firm of Marshall,
Blalock, Garner & Millner in
Newport News, Virginia, where
he and Nancy and their three
children live. Bob received his
law degree from Georgetown
University. John Santos is in real
estate appraisals and sales with
Henry Schachte & Sons in
Charleston, S.C. He and Judy
and their three children live in
Mt. Pleasant. James Smith is
field ei^ineer with Duke Power
Co. in Gastonia. Bill Fletcher is.
with the U.S. Postal Service in
Charlotte, where he and Jimmy
Nell and their four children live.
Patrick McHugh is claims at
torney with All State Insurance
Co. in Raleigh. He and Mary Ida
have six children.
’58-Roger Myers is production
control manager of knitting with.
Maiden Knitting & Finishing Co.
in Maiden, N.C. Congratulations
to Louis Seaman, who was No. 1
salesman in the nation for Rexall
Drugs for 1972. He and Geri and
their three children live in
Yakima. Washington.
’59- Congratulations to Jim
Mead, who has been promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine
Corps. Enjoyed seeing Mary Ann
and Charlie Wade and their three
children, the twins, Theresa and
Mary Ann, and Charlie Junior,
when they visited the Abbey on
December 28. Ruth Conrad is
reading clinician with the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
James Fogarty is manager of
the Marine Department of Jones
(See ALUMNIi Page 6)