Author Richard Brookhiser to Address Incoming Freshmen, August 25

Chestertown, MD, July 19, 2005 — Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington (1996), will address incoming students and their families at the annual Freshman Convocation, Thursday, August 25, at 2 p.m. in Washington College's Cain Gymnasium. Mr. Brookhiser will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the College in recognition of his contributions to the understanding of America's founding era and revolutionary leaders.

Recognized for his stylish and elegant "moral biographies," Mr. Brookhiser is the author of Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, American (1999), The First Dynasty: The Adamses1735-1918 (2002), and Gentleman Revolutionary: Gouverneur Morris, the Rake Who Wrote the Constitution (2004). In addition, he recently released an annotated edition of Washington's The Rules of Civility: The 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President in War and Peace. Mr. Brookhiser is senior editor of National Review and a columnist for The New York Observer. He has also written for American Heritage andThe New York Times Book Review. He lives in New York City.

Latin American Political History, Reform Topics of WC Professor's Latest Book

Chestertown, MD, July 19, 2005 — Christine J. Wade, assistant professor of political science and international studies at Washington College, has contributed to the revised and updated edition ofUnderstanding Central America: Global Forces, Rebellion and Regime Change, a seminal instructional text and academic reference covering the long, turbulent history of Latin American politics. The expanded Fourth Edition is now available from Westview Press.

In Understanding Central America: Global Forces, Rebellion and Regime Change, authors Wade, John A. Booth and Thomas W. Walker explore how domestic and global political and economic forces shaped rebellion and regime change in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This revised edition brings the Central American story up-to-date, with special emphasis on globalization, public opinion, progress toward democratic consolidation and U.S. pressures on political and economic processes. The authors offer a thorough analysis of how global forces act on these small nations.

"Central American reality doesn't exist in a vacuum," Wade says. "To truly understand Central America, you have to recognize the impact that outside actors—particularly the United States—have on the region."

Wade also recently co-authored a chapter, "Central America: From Revolution to Neoliberal 'Reform,'" inLatin America: Its Problems and Its Promise, edited by Jan Knippers Black. This multidisciplinary collection of invited chapters is intended for introductory courses on Latin America, and chronicles the region's ongoing struggle to attain effective sovereignty, democracy and equity. Wade's co-authored chapter provides a brief overview of Central American political economy from the violence of the late 1970s through the transition to democracy of present day with particular emphasis on the impact of neoliberal economic reforms on peace and democracy in the region.

Both books are available online from Westview Press, www.westviewpress.com.

A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Wade received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston University in 2002. She is a specialist in the international and comparative politics of Latin America and has traveled throughout Central America and the Caribbean, spending time at the Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Caña" (UCA) while conducting her dissertation field research in El Salvador. She was an electoral observer for the Tribunal Supremo Electoral in the 2000 Municipal and Legislative elections in El Salvador.

Fall 2005 Graduate Courses in English, History and Psychology

Chestertown, MD, July 18, 2005 — Students, educators and mental healthcare professionals are invited to register for Fall 2005 graduate courses at Washington College. The College offers master's degree programs in English, history and psychology, as well as graduate courses in education that can help to meet requirements for advanced professional certifications. The Fall 2005 graduate term begins the week of September 6-8 and ends the week of December 5-8. Final exams are scheduled for the week of December 12-16.

Graduate education courses are scheduled on an ongoing basis at a number of Maryland locations. Information is available at www.RegionalTrainingCenter.org.

The following graduate will be offered during the Fall 2005 semester:

ENG 598-10 The Harlem Renaissance, Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
ENG 599-10 The Postmodern American Novel, Monday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HIS 506-10 The United States Civil War, Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HIS 598-10 Teaching and Learning U.S. History: Content, Learning Theory and Pedagogy, Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
HIS 599-10 Topics in the History of the Modern Middle East, Tuesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 499-10 Introductory Proseminar, Monday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 500-10 Statistics in Psychology and Education, Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 510-10 Adolescence, Maturity and Old Age, Tuesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
PSY 560-10 Abnormal Behavior, Tuesday, 4:00-6:30 p.m.
PSY 599-10 Gender and Relationships, Monday, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

All Fall 2005 graduate classes will be held on Washington College's Chestertown campus. The Washington College Bookstore will be open September 6-8 and September 12, 6-7 p.m., for students to purchase texts. Graduate tuition is $825 per course, plus a non-refundable course registration fee of $65. A late registration fee of $150 per course will be assessed for students who register after the first week of classes. Pre-registration forms are accepted at the Registrar's Office in person, by mail, by phone at 410-778-7299, or by fax at 410-810-7159.

For complete information on Washington College's graduate course offerings, including detailed course descriptions and registration forms, visit http://grad.washcoll.edu.

The College's graduate education course schedule and registration materials are available online at www.RegionalTrainingCenter.org, or by calling the Regional Training Center at 800-433-4740 between the hours 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In Memoriam: Helen Gibson, Former First Lady of Washington College

Chestertown, MD, July 8, 2005 — Helen Gibson, former First Lady of Washington College, a gifted pianist and a patron of the arts, died on July 6, 2005, at Potomac Center for Elder Care in Alexandria, Virginia. She was 92.

The daughter of Carl and Helen Schaefer, Helen Gibson was born August 27, 1912, in Gary, Indiana, and moved to Ohio at a young age. She earned her bachelor's degree in Music at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, and went on to earn her Master's degree in Music from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

It was while she was a student at the Conservatory that she met Daniel Z. Gibson, an English professor and doctoral candidate there. The couple married in 1936. After living in Charleston, South Carolina, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Dr. Gibson was English professor and then Dean at Franklin & Marshall College, the couple moved to Chestertown in 1950 when he was named president of Washington College. During the Gibson's 20 years at the College, she was a staunch advocate for the arts. The performing arts center built during their tenure was named for her husband.

As the First Lady of the College from 1950 to 1970, Gibson was instrumental in bringing a greater appreciation and support for the arts to Chestertown and to Washington College. Shortly after her arrival in Chestertown, she co-founded the Washington College Concert Series, now in its 54th season.

Nathan Smith, Washington College professor of history emeritus, recalls that the germination of the concert series occurred in the living room of the Hynson-Ringgold House, with an impromptu trio composed of Helen Gibson at piano, Robert Forney on violin, and Smith on mandolin.

"Helen Gibson sat down at the piano and sight-read a complicated piece. We were surrounded by this beautiful music. She created this oasis of high culture at Hynson-Ringgold House that I'll never forget. To walk in and be a part of it was wonderful."

After that first musical encounter, local musicians would gather every Monday night at the Hynson-Ringgold House to play chamber music. They soon decided to take their music to a broader audience, and began inviting professional musicians to perform. Mrs. Gibson later was the accompanist for the College's choral group, which in 1969 went on a three-week European tour.

"Helen Gibson's passion for music, her energy and her vision have helped to shape the creative culture that distinguishes our campus and Chestertown today," remarked former College President John Toll on the occasion of her ninetieth birthday, a milestone the Chestertown community celebrated by gathering for a piano concert in the Gibson Performing Arts Center, featuring renowned pianist Stefan Scaggiari.

Mrs. Gibson also was instrumental in the founding of the Women's League of Washington College, a community organization that today provides scholarship support for Washington College students and materials for the College's Miller Library. More recently, she was involved in the creation of the campus arboretum, dedicated in 1998.

The Gibson years at Washington College were a time of unprecedented growth and program development. As partners, Daniel and Helen Gibson accomplished much at Washington College, yet Mrs. Gibson took the initiative on many projects, from preparing food for faculty parties to laying the brick walk in the backyard of the Hynson-Ringgold House. She is remembered as an elegant and gracious hostess who entertained beautifully on a very small budget.

Following her husband's death in 1984, she remained active in the Chestertown community. In addition to her music, her books and college activities, she enjoyed birdwatching, swimming, yoga and travel.

She is survived by a son, Daniel Douglas Gibson, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Jolis of Ester, Alaska; a daughter, Jillian Clark Gibson, of Alexandria, Virginia, and two grandchildren, Rachel Katharine Nichols and Daniel Patrick Nichols, both of San Francisco, California. Her daughter, Mary Gibson Swander, died in January 2005.

The ninetieth birthday celebration for Mrs. Gibson was one she helped plan and was, in essence, her living memorial service. Her children and grandchildren feel that no additional memorial service could do more justice to her love of family, the arts, the college and Chestertown.

Memorial contributions may be made to: The Helen Gibson Scholarship at Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620.