Alumni Magazine Wins Award

Johnson C. Smith University officials just received word that the Office of Public Relations will be honored with a “Special Merit Award” in recognition of our outstanding university magazine, The Bulletin. This is the second time in two years that the Office of Public Relations has received such an honor from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The award will be presented in February during a special ceremony at the CASE District III Conference in Nashville, Tenn. The Public Relations Office includes Benny Smith, Director; Teri Brooks, Marketing and Communications Assistant; Kristene Kelly, Sports Information Director; Charla Davis, Printshop Coordinator, and Malia Rodgers, University Webmaster/Assistant Printshop Coordinator.

Congratulations to all who submitted and wrote articles for our semi-annual magazine. We also would like to offer a special “Thank You” to Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ken Westary and JCSU President Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy for giving our department the support it needed to transform The Bulletin from a newsletter to magazine format. Go Golden Bulls!

Back to top

JCSU Class Notes

Class of 1941
Judge Donald E. Ramseur ('41) remembered for work with Boys & Girls Club. Ramseur died November 13, 2002 at the age of 82. While it did take a team of community leaders to build what was originally the Gaston Boys Club, Ramseur was the person with the vision and drive to achieve it. The club was incorporated in 1959. Ramseur is credited with being the first black lawyer in Gaston County. As such, he served as a District Court judge from 1975 to 1985. He also helped integrate public and private places as a member of the Gaston County Human Relations Committee.

Class of 1942
The Daisy Spears and Gerson L. Stroud ('42) Foundation is organizing a cultural hallmark event for the Charlotte community. On Tuesday evening, February 28, 2006, three natives of Charlotte will be presented in concert, at the new ImaginOn in the McColl Family Theater. This landmark event will feature the immense talents of Rickie Byars-Beckwith, Jacqueline Butler Hairston and Yvette Walker Lewis under the direction of Travis Alexander, the Minister of Music, Gethsemane AME Zion Church of Charlotte, NC. The mission of this organization is to provide financial support to students at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) and Fayetteville State University (FSU). You may contact the Foundation at http://www.daisygersonstroudfoundation.org or (704) 604-7762.

Class of 1943
Dr. Mable Parker McLean ('43) returns again as president at Barber-Scotia College. McLean served as president of the historically black Presbyterian-affiliated college from 1974 to 1988 and 1994 to 1996.

Class of 1946
On the anniversary of the Rock Hill bus strike, the Reverend Cecil Augustus Ivory ('46) was remembered for his extraordinary leadership during the bus boycotts. Upon graduation Ivory taught and coached at the now-defunct Harbison Junior College in Irmo for two years, then became pastor of Hermon Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill. Ivory's nonstop activism of trying to end the buses and taxis boycott cost him his life. He died November 10, 1961 at 40 years old. The Rock Hill strike is commemorated in the permanent exhibit, "Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers," at the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte. For more information, go online at www.museumofthenewsouth.org

Class of 1955
Claude Saunders ('55) was the NFL official game clock operator for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game. He is also the clock operator for the Carolina Panthers.

Class of 1963
Glenn Chavis ('63) was recently published in three periodicals, High Point News & Record, Sunday December 18, 2005, "Trying to locate some missing land", High Point News & Record, Sunday, December 25, 2005, " What was 'discipline with love' now considered abuse", and the North Carolina Friends Historical Society, December 2005, "Origins of the William Penn School", High Point, NC. In recognition of "Black History Month," Time Warner Cable will include four of Chavis' stories on their web page during the month of February. Starting on February 1, a different story will be featured each week. They selected the stories from 100 published by the News & Record over the last 2 years. The website is address is www.AroundThePiedmontTriad.com

Class of 1964
Charles N. Holloway, Sr. ('64) of Salisbury, NC is currently the executive director of Davidson County Community Action, Inc. Holloway is a licensed real estate broker. He is a Shriner and holds membership in numerous associations and serves on local boards.

Class of 1966
Dewitt Harris ('66) retired as the Vice President, Employee Resource Management, for the United States Postal Service after 39 years of service.

Class of 1972
Ken Koontz ('72), owner/managing general partner of All-Stars Communications (Satellite Uplink and Television Production) was tracking the Panthers' playoff trail this season for FOX 18 - Charlotte, NC. Koontz also transmitted all the FOX 18 reports back to Charlotte for the Giants vs. Panther's playoff game held at Giants Stadium and the Bears game from Chicago. Koontz's company also covered Hurricane Katrina last September.

Class of 1977
A special acknowledgement is being given to Dr. Delores "Cricket" Hicklin Lee ('77) for the many accomplishments and contributions she has made in the Charlotte community. She is an educator whose professional credentials expand throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Dr. Lee is the former principal of West Charlotte High School (2000-2005) and now recently Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Department of Educational Leadership (2004 - present). Visit the website www.uncc.edu to find out more about Dr. Lee's career in the field of education.

Class of 1981
Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II ('81) has taken the position of Associate Director at The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Dr. Nelson is also an ordained Presbyterian Pastor who serves Liberation Community Church (LCC), chartered on April 11, 1999.

Class of 1983
Henry Gilmore ('83) has been named principal at Kings Mountain Intermediate School. Gilmore and his wife Wanda have two children and live in Kings Mountain. He is the choir director at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and is a vocalist.

Class of 1985
Leviticus Williamson ('85) designed a board game called Four Tractors and A Cow. The game is licensed by Great American Factory Puzzle Company and will be featured at the International Toy Fair in New York from February 12-15, 2006 at the Jacob K. Convention Center.

Class of 1992
The Rev. Marcel Bush ('92) is the new pastor of Spartanburg's Majority Baptist Church. After almost a year of searching for a pastor, Majority Baptist Church is very pleased to have Rev. Bush and his family join the congregation.

Class of 1995
Dr. Brian Johnson ('95) is the Professor of English at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. He is also a non-resident fellow in the W.E.B. DuBois Institute of African-American Research at Harvard University. AltaMira Press has published his book, "DuBois On Reform: Periodical-Based Leadership for African-Americans."

Jeannine F. Hunter ('95) became the newest religion reporter at The Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper and the largest in the state of Tennessee. Hunter recently graduated with a Master of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville after studying in its school of Information Sciences. Hunter was also awarded a grant for a joint journalism project on HIV/AIDS in Southern Appalachia, www.kff.org/about/2004-Kaiser-Mini-Fellows.cfm

Class of 1997
Tremaine D. Royster ('97), a native of Chapel Hill, preached his first sermon at Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church. Royster is the son of the Rev. Mark R. Royster ('73) and Phyllis W. Royster.

Class of 2003
Ranata Strong ('03) graduated with a Master of Science degree in Sports Studies in December 2004 from High Point University. Strong now teaches physical education in Maryland.

Class of 2005
Talece Hunter ('05) was accepted into the Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC.

Back to top

Deceased Alumni

Esther Johnson ('36), November 10, 2005
Delford Williams ('42), December 2005
Joseph Yates ('51), January 21, 2006
Evelyn Murphy ('61), January 19, 2006
John W. Butler ('62), September 6, 2005
Ellis Denton Carter ('63), November 5, 2005
Ronnie Chalmer ('65), exact date unknown
Wilson E. Counts ('65), January 24, 2006
Leola Cofer Anderson Young ('66), January 18, 2006
James R. White ('72), December 17, 2005
Charles Henry Massey ('77), December 29, 2005
Thomas C. Monroe ('66), November 24, 2005
Celestin Bryan (’50) December 8, 2005

Back to top

Students Present USA Funds Life Skills to Peers at Johnson C. Smith University

Recently nine students, resident advisors and peer mentors attended a USA Funds Life Skills Train-the-Trainer workshop. Implementing USA Funds Life Skills financial-literacy program just seemed like the right thing to do, according to Keisha Ramey. An assistant director of financial aid and an alumna of JCSU, Ramey remembered what it was like when, not so long ago, she was a student with worries about credit-card debt and student loans. After touring USA Funds, Ramey realized that she had to bring the program to campus. The Charlotte, NC school has used Module 5, Now That You Are About to Graduate: Taking Control of Your Life, with graduating seniors the past three years. Students who will conduct the USA Funds Life Skills workshops at Johnson C. Smith University are Marcus Lyles, Kyeshia Carter, Sharika Sneed, Michelle Brooks, Crystal Gavin, Tyrell Hughes and Quinzzy Pratt.

James Saunders, interim director of student-support services, noted that many of the students at Johnson C. Smith University are first-generation college students with limited income. Many have not had much exposure to the lending process in general, or their family's borrowing experience has not been positive. USA Funds Life Skills is a great program for our students because it will change their perceptions. Then they can educate and influence others to understand that responsible borrowing might be necessary to finance a college education. USA Funds Life Skills materials are available at no cost to postsecondary institutions that use USA Funds as their primary guarantor and to all minority-serving institutions.

Back to top

Dr. Yancy Featured in Magazine

Congratulations to JCSU President, Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy, who is featured in the January issue of Skirt Magazine published in Charlotte. The magazine featured local women who became "firsts" in various areas and fields. Dr. Yancy is the first female president of Johnson C. Smith University. In 2005, she celebrated 10 years of service with the University. Again, congratulations to our President.

Back to top

JCSU Cheerleaders Win Competition

The Johnson C. Smith University Cheerleaders were named the Inaugural Black College Hoops Classic Cheerleading competition champions in December. The lovely ladies defeated Lincoln (Mo) and Wiley College to claim the victory. The Classic was held from December 27-29, 2005 in Los Angeles, CA. Congrats to the Luv-A-Bulls!!!!

Back to top

Additional Alumni News

Charlotte Bobcats forward Emeka Okafor and NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne hosted 50 students and chaperones from Mr. Jeremiah Merritt's ('00) Merry Oaks Elementary School class as guests for their Team 950 Suite Party for Kids on Friday, January 27, in conjunction with the Bobcats' game against Miami at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Team 950, a partnership created to provide opportunities for kids in need, was created by Kahne, who drives the number 9 Dodge, and Okafor, who wears jersey number 50 for the Bobcats. Merritt's fifth grade class was selected to attend this game based on a series of articles that appeared in the Charlotte Observer from November 2005 to January 2006. Merritt is a young, African-American teacher in an international school represented by approximately 30 different countries, with only 44 percent who speak English as their first language.

UNCF and the New Jersey Nets are offering discount tickets to JCSU alumni in the Tri-State area for the Nets vs. Raptors game on Saturday, March 4, 2006. For ticket information, contact Ken Dorsett, Group Sales Manager, (201) 635-3414, kdorsett@njnets.com.

Back to top

Duke Energy Supports JCSU

The Duke Energy Foundation has decided to support Johnson C. Smith University's Cultivating Women in Technology Program with $15,000. “Duke Energy values a strong commitment to our communities,” said Duke Energy Foundation Manager Erika D. Young. “The Duke Energy Foundation continues to honor this commitment with support of organizations such as Johnson C. Smith University.”

The outreach program is a partnership between local high schools and Johnson C. Smith University. The Duke Energy Foundation’s contribution will help support teaching, mentoring and scholarship activities designed to encourage female high school students to meet the challenges of a career in technology.

Johnson C. Smith University has achieved national recognition for high levels of recruiting, retaining and graduating female engineers and computer scientists. The ratio of female computer scientists and engineers among JCSU students and graduates is around 50% while many schools are struggling to recruit and retain females in engineering and computer science programs.

JCSU has emerged as a leader in technology training. In 2005, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was ranked 22nd nationwide, and first among all universities and colleges in the Carolinas in producing African Americans in Computer Science and Information Systems.

The Duke Energy Foundation provides funding where the company sees the greatest need, within three focus areas: educational attainment, community vitality and competitive workforce. The foundation, a non-profit organization, is funded by shareholders of Duke Energy.

Back to top

Save the Date

*REUNION WEEKEND
May 5-7, 2006
http://www.jcsu.edu/alumni/reunion.htm
We will celebrate the reunion classes ending with '1s and '6s, along with the Golden Anniversary Class of 1956 and the Silver Anniversary Class of 1981. It is expected that each class agent will routinely correspond with their classmates and establish meaningful relationships in an effort to reconnect and to solicit financial support among alumni and friends of the University. To find out more about the Class Agent Program proceed to the following link - http://www/jcsu.edu/alumni/classagents.htm

Host Hotel Information:
Doubletree Hotel Charlotte - Gateway Village
895 W. Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 347-0070 or 1-800-222-TREE
www.doubletree.com
Promotion Code: JCSU Graduation 2006
JCSU Rate: $79.00 +13.5% tax per night

*HOMECOMING 2006
October 20-22, 2006
JCSU vs. Fayetteville State University

Host Hotel Information:
Hilton Hotel - Charlotte City Center
222 E. Third Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
1-800-HILTONS (445-8667) or 1-877-667-7213
Block code: JCSU Homecoming 2006 or Group Blocking
Single and Double Rate: $98.00 + 13.5% tax per night

Online reservation site:
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/private_groups/clthhhf_hom/index.jhtml or

www.charlottecentercity.hilton.com

Back to top

Young Alumni Association

It's not too late to sign up for a great weekend with the young alumni in Las Vegas, NV. Go to http://www.jcsu.edu/alumni/youngalumni.htm located under the alumni section and find additional information about the trip.

Back to top

2006 JCSU Band Performances

February 21 President's Concert (Biddle Hall)
March 3 CIAA Semi-Final Game - Floor Show
June 10 - 17 JCSU Golden Bull All-Star High School Summer Band Camp

Back to top

Angela Davis receives Media attention at JCSU

The appearance of Dr. Angela Davis on campus January 17, 2006 attracted hundreds to Brayboy Gymnasium. Among the media covering the event were WSCC-TV, The Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte Post, and Creative Loafing. Davis spoke on “Martin Luther King, Civil Rights and Human Rights: Future Trajectories,” before taking questions from the crowd. She also took time to visit with audience members at the conclusion of her appearance.

Back to top

Alumni Giving

As of January 25, 2006, $130,749 in contributions has been received toward the Annual Fund. Help us reach our 2005-2006 goals: 25% Alumni Participation - $640,000 Alumni Giving

Please send your gift to:
Attn: Contributions/Office of Institutional Advancement
Johnson C. Smith University
100 Beatties Ford Road
Charlotte, NC 28216

Make your financial gift to the University by June 30, 2006.

Back to top

Scholarship Opportunity for Alumni

Johnson C. Smith Alumni:

As coordinator of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program, I write to let you know about a wonderful opportunity. Alumni who have graduated in the last five years (since May 2001), have applied to an accredited university and plan to start their first graduate or professional degree full-time in fall 2006, have a cumulative college GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and have an unmet financial need are eligible for a $50,000 scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.