The Compass Wednesday, October 26, 1994 17
Dr. Townes leaves a rich legacy
in the numerous lives he touched
Dr.JamesTownes,Assistant Vice Chan
cellor for Academic Affairs,died July 21
in Chesapeake General Hospital.
Townnes/iirectorofSuninifirSchooland
aprofessorofchemistryintheUniversity's
Etepartment of Physical Sciences,had
served ECSU 28 years.
Townes was a former chairman of the
Department of Physical Sciences^ ad
ministrative assistant to the
chancellor,and interim vice chancellor for
Academic Affairs.
Students,faculty,staff and administra
tors expressed deep sorrow at the loss of
Townes.
"His physical presence is certainly be
ing missed throughout the Viking fam
ily," said Dr.Bobby Lewis^a professor in
the Department of Biology. "However
his sound,truthful and respectful work
ethics and philosophy will continue to be
carried on by the many lives he touched.
"Although a man of small stature, he
was a giant in his role as a professor of
chemistry," added Lewis. "He was also a
great advisor,counselor and educator,as
well as an excellent an excellent vice-
chancellor for academicaffairs...he had a
very positive,fair and respectful philoso
phy about life, living and human de
cency."
Lewis praised Townes for making nu
merous contributions to help the aca
demic progress at ECSU.
Townes helped to initiate the North
Carolina Consortium on Undergraduate
Research at Appalachian State
University,said Lewis. He also helped
develop the National Science
Foundation's proposal to establidi the
annual fall NCCUR conference.
Students remember Townes for
faimess,compassion and dedication to
their welfare.
"Dr. Townes was a great guy," said
Tyronza Moore,a junior from
AuroraJSJ.C,who worked in Townes' of
fice. "He always talked to me and taught
to how to how talk to other people with
problems. He always gave me advice
about what to do with school.
"When I was a freshman I had prob
lems in Psychology;he told me not to get
stressed out about it. He said he got a C in
Psychology, and that's what I got. It made
me feel good to see that I wasn't the only
one who thought it was hard."
Moore also praised Townes for his fair
ness in dealing with students. Students
seeking excuses for absences had to get
them through Townes' office.
"He could be firm when dealing with
students," said Moore, "but he always
said if he did it for one,he would have to
do it for everyone. He really tried to be
fair."
Townes,whose career included a stint
as a research chemist at the national Bu
reau of Standards,received numerous
honors and awards during his
life,including $70,000 in grants from the
Atomic Energy and National Science
Foimdation. He was a deacon^unday
school superintendent and advisor at.
Bethany Baptist Church in Chesapeake.
Townes is survived by his wife,Marian
Townes of Chesapeake, Va; his
son,LawrenceDillon-TownesofNewport
News,Va; his daughter, Vickie Townesof
Portsmouth,Va; three sisters, Alma
Foote,Maxine Greene and Celestine
Curtis;a brother, Sylvester Townes of
Williamsberg, Va; and three grandchil
dren.
News Biiejfe
The University family is grieving the
loss of Dr. Eloise May Ban^ Roberts,
who died Saturday Ott. 1, in Albemarle
Hospital.
Dr. Roberts, a professor in the Depart
ment of Education, was the first female
vice chancellor for student affairs in the
University of North Carolina system.
Funeral services were held Tuesday,
Oct 4 at 3:30 p.m. at Olive Branch Mis
sionary Baptist Church. Burial followed
in Westlawn Memorial Park.
Roberts was the wife of Dr. Andrew
Lee Roberts, a professor in the Etept. of
Education. Other survivors include two
daughters, Daniell Hawkins of Raleigh
and Lavem Blassengale of Plainfield, N.J;
four sisters, Nettie Harris of Phillipi,
W.Va., Comelia Comedy of Columbus,
Ohio, Kathy DavisofMartinsbuig, W.Va.
and Carolyn Davis of Reston, Va; a
brother,EverettE.BamettJr.ofQncincati,
Ohio; and two grandsons, Lamar and
Devin Hawkins.
Dr. Roberts received her bachelor of
science degree from West Virginia State
College, her master's degree in counsel
ing from Marshall University, and her
Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
ECSU's new dassofficers are:
Freshmen class: Kelly Roberton, Presi
dent; Monicia Littlejolm, Vice President;
Carla Brock, Secretary;Fayton, Treasurer;
and Yolanda Miller, Parlimentarian.
Sophomore class: Beatrice Sheam,
President; Sharmel Edwards, Vice Presi
dent; Stada McFadden, Secretary; Trina
Payne, Treasurer; and Eddie Hill,
Parlimentarian.
Junior class officers are Marcus
Weatherford, President; Regina Davis,
Vice President; Anita Snow, Secretary,
Antoine Fries, Treasurer; and Patrick
Mdver, Parlimentarian.
Senior Qass officers: Allen Mason,
President; Ranesha Hunt, Vice President;
Jill Butcher, Secretary; Cedric Freeman,
Treasurer, and Amy Anderson,
Parlimentarian.
The Pickwick Sodety,an honorary or
ganization for English majors,has in
ducted ten members for the 1994-1995
school year.
Andrae Brown and Ahmad Ward were
seleded to study at Oxford University's
Exeter College in the United Kingdom
during the summer of 1994. The aim of
this summer experience was to challenge
and empower honors students by pro
viding field-based residential learning
experiences in which honors students
could engage in seminars while partid-
patinginthelifeof a unique geographical
area. Brown and Ward studied English
Literature and life through art, architec
ture, archaeology,theatre, music
history,literature and sdence imique to
OxfonJ and its environs.
ECSU'sMightyMarchingVikingBand
will perform in the Thanksgiving Day
Parade in Philadelphia, Pa.
OnOct27IheDeptofLar^;uage,Literature
& Communication will serve as hosts to
more than 300 high school students and
their teachers from the 16-county region
served by the Univeraty. The students
and their advisors will attend the
Department's first "Fall Media Work
shop."
WRVS 89.9 ECSU kicks off its second
annual fundraiser SUCESSFEST 94 Oc
tober 30—^Nov. 4th 1994.
International Week activties will begin
MondayJ^Jov.8 with a dinner held from
7:00 to 9^X) p.m.in the K.E.White Gradu-
ateCenter.Tuesdayamoviewillbeshown
at 7-30 p.m. at either the University Cen
ter or the Commuter Center.
Wednesday,a panel discussion on Hait
will take place in the University Center at
10:00 a.m. Professors are invited to bring
their classes to participate. On
Thursday,Dr.Johnny Houston will
present a book review at 7KX) to 7:30 p.m.
The sdence departments at ECSU will
benefit from a $2 million grant from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute which
has funded a program designed to allow
faculty at UNC to strengthen black col
leges in the state.
The program^—^Partnership for Minor
ity Advancement in the Biomolecular
Sdences—^will enable UNC to provide
curricula, supplies eind equipment to sd
ence departments at ECSU and six other
HBCUs in the state.
Seventy percent of all minority stu
dents who attend college in North Caro
lina go to black univeristies,aocording to
Walter Bollenbacher,the program's di
rector and an associate professor of biol
ogy at UNC.
"If we are going to deal with the crisis
in minority representation in science
careers,we can't do it at Carolina or
N.C.State alone," said Bollenbacher. "We
have to help thoseschools...where almost
three quarters of the minority students
are."
Nate HiggsJECSU's three time ClAA
forward, has signed a free agent contract
with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Higgs also received offers from Char
lotte, Milwaukee, and Miami,according
to his agent,Wayne Souza of Virginia
Beach. But he tumed those offers down in
favor of the Supersonics.
Souza said Seattle offered Higgs "the
best opportunity and the best economic
deal."
Higgs,who averaged 225 points and
8.6 rebounds last season,was the CIAA
player of the year in 1993.
After surviving two cuts in Charlotte
and playing for the Hornets in the Rocky
Mountain Review inSalt Lake Qty, Higgs
spent a week playingfor the Sonics .spon
sored by Education Program at Elizabeth
City State University.