College Convocation Honors Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, Welcomes Class Of 2007

Chestertown, MD, July 28, 2003 — On Thursday, August 21, 2003, Washington College will hold its annual convocation to welcome incoming students and to launch the new academic year. This year's guest of honor is Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, who will address the Class of 2007 and receive an Honorary Doctor of Law. The ceremony will be held in the Cain Athletic Center Gymnasium starting at 2 p.m.
This fall, the College will enroll 360 first-time freshmen chosen from a record number of applicants, 2,114 in all. With an average high school GPA of 3.47 and the best class rank profile in the College's history (66 percent in the top 20 percent of their high school classes), this year's freshman class is one of the highest achieving on record.
The College is proud to honor Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, the first African American in Maryland history to be elected to the position of lieutenant governor. Through his office, Steele works with the Maryland's congressional delegation and with state and local officials to promote and implement the administration's policies and initiatives.
The gubernatorial election of 2002 capped a lifetime of triumph against the odds and earning acceptance in places where many felt he did not belong. Born in Prince George's County, the son of a laundress, Steele attended Archbishop Carroll High School and Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a B.A. in international relations and served as student body president. Later he attended the Augustinian Friars Seminary at Villanova University, and he earned his J.D. in 1991 from Georgetown University Law School.
During the 1990s, Steele worked as a lawyer specializing in international law and financial transactions while rising through the ranks of the Republican Party in Prince George's County. In 2000 he was elected chair of the Maryland State Republican Party, becoming the first African American in the nation to head a state party. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee.
Steele has distinguished himself in many areas of public service, including politics, education and social reform. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Steele to serve on the Board of Visitors of the United State Naval Academy. Under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, he served as a commissioner on the National Federal Election Reform Commission, and in 2001 served on the NAACP's Blue Ribbon Panel on Election Reform. Other affiliations include the Board of Visitors of the Hospice of the National Capital Area (2001), the Archdiocese of Washington Pastoral Council (1996-1999), and the Board of Trustees of the Johns Hopkins University (1981-1985).
Steele is a member of the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP and the Johns Hopkins University Society of Black Alumni. He has received several awards for his outstanding contributions to Maryland, including the African American Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County Outstanding Speaker Award, the NAACP Meritorious Achievement Award, the Knights of Columbus Maryland State Council Citizen of the Year Award, and the Prince George's County Board of Trade Citizen of the Year Award. Steele lives in Landover Hills, MD, with his wife Andrea and their two sons, Michael and Drew.

52nd Concert Series Brings Exciting Mixture Of Jazz, Medieval, Classical String And Vocal To Washington College

Chestertown, MD, July 25, 2003 — The Washington College Concert Series, now in its 52nd season, announces an exciting, eclectic season of music for 2003-2004. All concerts are held in the Tawes Theatre, Daniel Z. Gibson Performing Arts Center, on the campus of the College. Single tickets can be purchased at the door, $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for youth and students, and season tickets and sponsorships are available from the College.
The 2003-2004 season will feature performances by the following musicians:
The Chiara String Quartet, Thursday, September 18, 8 p.m. These Julliard-trained musicians bring commitment, ardor and passion to traditional quartet repertoire. With an eye toward the next generation of music, they also perform commissioned pieces from today's talented, working composers.
Istanpitta, Medieval Music Ensemble, Tuesday, November 18, 8 p.m. A Texas-based ensemble, Istanpitta will introduce audiences to the period instruments and music of the 10th to 15th centuries, including many traditional Middle Eastern dances.
The Hot Club of San Francisco, Sunday, February 8, 4 p.m. Inspired by jazz great Django Reinhardt, the Hot Club quintet brings jumpy rhythms and Gypsy sentimentality to acoustic jazz guitar.
The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Thursday, March 4, 8 p.m. Although Franz List never composed for strings, this award-winning Budapest-based orchestra honors the great Hungarian composer in name and virtuosity.
Julianne Baird, Soprano, Friday, April 23, 8 p.m. With over 100 recordings to her credit, Julianne Baird maintains a busy concert schedule of solo recitals and performances of baroque opera and oratorio. She has been hailed as “one of the most extraordinary voices in the service of early music that this generation has produced.”
For ticket information and a 2003-2004 season brochure, call 410-778-7839 or 800-422-1782, ext. 7839. Season tickets are available for $50.00 per person. Individual tax-deductible patron memberships begin at $75.00. Contributing patron memberships begin at $150.00, supporting at $250.00, and sustaining at $500.00. All membership packages include two tickets, and all donations over the price of the tickets are tax-deductible. Season tickets and memberships can be purchased by check or money order through the mail from the Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197.

Construction Underway On New Science Center

45,000-Square-Foot Facility to Double the Size of the College's Science Complex

Chestertown, MD, July 21, 2003 — Washington College has broken ground on a new $19 million Science Center to meet the demands of a steadily increasing number of science majors. Construction began in early June with the demolition of the Litrenta Lecture Hall wing on Dunning Hall and the rerouting of utilities to prepare the foundation. The new 45,000-square-foot building will double the size of the College's science teaching and research complex. Renovations to the existing Dunning-Decker Science Complex will be finished after the completion of the new science building, completing the total modernization of the College's science facilities.
“Our new Science Center has been designed to provide a lab-rich environment for supporting new and evolving models for teaching the sciences to undergraduates,” said Dr. John Toll, President Emeritus of Washington College, noting the College's dedication to an engaged, hands-on approach of collaborative research between students and professors.
While total student enrollment at Washington College has grown from 789 in 1986-87 to 1362 in 2002-03, the number of science majors has tripled in the same period. To meet the needs of these students, the new Science Center and the renovated Dunning-Decker Science Complex will provide cutting-edge laboratories for teaching and research in the natural and behavioral sciences, as well as in mathematics and computer science. The goal, Dr. Toll added, is to provide adequate space for both experiential learning and for faculty research. The new facility will have teaching laboratories, research laboratories and laboratory support space. For classroom space, a new trend in science facilities will be followed: small-group instruction rooms equipped with mobile “white boards.” For reasons of safety and security, renovations will include an automated card access security system for labs, stores and supplies. The new and renovated buildings will meet all current requirements for Life Safety and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This new construction and renovation is the largest capital project in the history of Washington College. The Maryland General Assembly appropriated $2,575,000 in 2002 and private fundraising has brought in additional monies, including $2.7 million from the College's Board of Visitors and Governors and $531,000 raised toward a $1-million goal to name the three-story glass atrium connecting the Science Center with the Dunning-Decker Science Complex in honor of the late chemistry professor and Washington College President Joseph H. McLain.
In addition to these gifts and support from reunion classes, other major funding has come from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, $200,000 from Whiting-Turner Contracting, $100,000 from Roy Ans, Class of 1963, $100,000 from the late Ivon Culver, Class of 1935, and $100,000 from the George I. Alden Trust. Also, the College has received a grant of $48,300 from the National Science Foundation to outfit an aquaculture lab to study fish acoustic behavior, a research specialization for Washington College biology professor Martin Connaughton.
Washington College currently offers bachelor of science degrees in biology and biochemistry, chemistry, physics and psychology/behavioral neuroscience; a minor in earth and planetary science; and special courses of study in engineering, environmental studies, nursing, pharmacy science and premed.
Fundraising for the new Science Center is ongoing with opportunities available to sponsor and to name department research suites, teaching and research laboratories, seminar and classrooms, and faculty offices. For more information, contact the Washington College Office of Development and Parent and Alumni Relations at 410-778-7801.

Arthur Vining Davis Gift Pushes Campaign To $92 Million

Washington College Now $20 Million Ahead of Original Goal

Chestertown, MD, July 16, 2003 — Year-end giving coupled with a $200,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations of Jacksonville, FL, have pushed the Campaign for Washington College to nearly $92 million. With six months remaining, the Campaign is $20 million ahead of the College's original five-year, $72 million campaign goal.
The $200,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations is designated for the new $19 million, 45,000-square-foot campus Science Center currently under construction. Other recent major gifts include $200,000 from the estate of the late Maureen Jacoby, former managing editor of the College's Literary House Press, for internships and scholarships; $50,000 from The Clayton Fund of Houston, TX, for scholarships; and more than $531,000 raised in honor of the late Washington College President Joseph H. McLain for whom the three-story glass atrium in the new Science Center will be named.
“We are very pleased with our progress in the final leg of the Campaign,” said College Trustee Thomas H. Gale, Chair of the Milestone Council, a group charged with taking the Campaign as far as it can go by the end by its completion date of December 31, 2003. “We have the momentum to take this drive, the most successful in the history of the College, to even greater heights with the support of our many alumni, parents and friends.”
Monies raised by the Campaign are specifically dedicated to faculty, campus enhancements, academic programs and scholarships. Since the beginning of the Campaign in September 1998, 15 donors have given $1 million or more to the fund drive, and 105 contributors each have given $100,000 or more.
“The support and goodwill extended to this College has been tremendous,” said Bill MacIntosh, Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs. “More than 11,000 donors have given to the campaign. At an institution our size, each gift, no matter the amount, makes a big impact on individual students' educations and the future directions of their lives.”

New Trustees Appointed At Washington College

Chestertown, MD, July 10, 2003 —Washington College's Board of Visitors and Governors has announced the appointment of three new College trustees this spring: Linda Spire, appointed by Governor Ehrlich; John Rogers Whitmore, elected by the Board to replace the late Dr. Stephen Jones; and Stephen T. Golding '72, elected by the College's alumni. Incumbent Edward M. Athey '67 was re-elected by alumni to serve another six-year term on the Board.
Spire is a graduate of Tufts University and the Andover Newton Theological School, and has been deeply involved in community outreach and volunteerism in the arts, the Hospice of Talbot County (MD), and the Episcopal Diocese of Easton. She and her husband live in St. Michaels, MD.
Whitmore is a senior advisor to Bessemer Group, Inc, an asset management firm based in Woodbridge, NJ, where he served as president and CEO from 1975 to 1999. He also serves as the director of the Chevy Chase Bank, advisory board member to Bradford Equities Management, director of the B.F. Saul Company, trustee of the B.F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust and is a trustee emeritus of the Foundation Center. Whitmore has numerous volunteer affiliations including the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the George Washington Frederick Foundation. He and his wife Suzanne founded and are the sole trustees of the Harris Creek Foundation, based in Sherwood, MD.
Alumni elected incumbent Ed Athey '67 and Stephen Golding '72 as their representatives on the Board of Visitors and Governors.
Athey is president of Fleetwood, Athey, MacBeth & McCown, Inc., an independent insurance agency in Chestertown, MD. He is also past president of the Alumni Association, former chairman of the Community Campaign, serves on the Sho'men Club and Hall of Fame boards, was co-Chair of the Daly and William Smith Hall Committees, and is a member of the 1997 Washington College Long Range Planning Committee. Athey is a charter member of the 1782 Society's President's Council. His daughters, Lisa '96 and Carolyn Harms '93 M '97, are both Washington College graduates.
Golding is Vice President of Budget and Finance for the University of Colorado System and formerly headed Morgan Stanley Investment Management's Endowment & Foundations Group, working primarily with colleges and universities in the management of their endowment portfolios. Golding came to Morgan Stanley from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was Penn's CFO and director for budget and resource planning. Prior to Penn, Golding was the secretary of finance and budget director for the State of Delaware after spending seven years in secondary education. He previously served on the College's Visiting Committee and, with his wife Cally '74, is the parent of student Gayle Golding '05. He is a member of the 1782 Society, the College's signature giving club.

Eleanor Shriver Magee '93 Appointed To Head Alumni Office

Chestertown, MD, July 8, 2003 —Washington College's Office of Development and Alumni and Parent Relations announced Wednesday, July 2, the appointment of Eleanor Shriver Magee as the new Alumni Director for the College. Magee, a 1993 graduate of Washington College, has served as the Head Women's Lacrosse and Soccer Coach since 1997. She will begin her new position July 17, 2003.
“Eleanor brings her love of this school to the position, as well as energy, enthusiasm, creativity and fundraising experience,” said Bill MacIntosh, Vice President for Development and Alumni and Parent Relations. “We look forward to working and brainstorming with her as we develop new programs to reach out to our alumni and reaffirm their connections to Washington College.”
Magee, who holds a Masters in Education from Goucher College and is a 2005 candidate for a Doctor of Education from Wilmington College (DE), has been deeply involved in women's athletics over the past decade. She has served as a director at Camp Four Winds for girls in Sargentville, ME; assistant coach for women's field hockey and lacrosse at Kenyon College (1993-1994); head women's lacrosse and volleyball coach at Alfred University (1994-1996); and assistant women's lacrosse coach at Loyola College (1996-1997). In the fall of 1997, Magee returned to her alma mater to coach women's lacrosse and the fledgling varsity women's soccer team. In six seasons of coaching lacrosse, Magee posted a record of 60-43; her 60 wins stand as the most ever by a women's lacrosse coach at the College. Under her guidance, the Shorewomen have reached each of the first three Centennial Conference Playoffs in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and in 2000 and 2003, she led them to the ECAC South Championship Game.
Magee also has been instrumental in raising funds for the College's lacrosse endowment and has served on the Executive Committee of the 1782 Society, the College's signature giving club, for the past three years.
“Working for your alma mater is simply the tops,” she said. “It is very easy for me to convey to a future student—and now to alumni—all the great aspects of Washington College because I lived the experience.”
Magee credits Washington College's small, intimate setting with encouraging the spirit of involvement she loved as a student and wants to continue to foster as Alumni Director.
“What I loved about WC as a student was being able to do many things in addition to academics, such as student government and sports. The way the College was always supportive of my interests is something I have never forgotten.” Although she will miss her days of coaching, she looks forward to the challenges and opportunities of her new position.
“First I want to say thank you to Athletic Director Bryan Matthews for giving me the chance to come back and coach here. It has been a blessing for me to work with all the staff of the Athletic Department to develop two teams. Additionally, I hope to remain interactive with current students. Coaching allowed that and I feel that remaining involved with current students will help develop the student-to-college relationship that will last a lifetime.”
Magee and her husband, Jack, live in Centreville, MD.

WC History Professor's Research To Be Featured In New PBS Series

“History Detectives” Will Explore the Legend of Delmarva's Infamous Patty Cannon
Chestertown, MD, July 1, 2003 — Dr. Carol Wilson, associate professor of history at Washington College and author of Freedom at Risk: The Kidnapping of Free Blacks in America, 1780-1865, has contributed her expertise to a new 10-episode Public Television series titled History Detectives. The fourth episode, which will air Thursday, July 17 at 8:00 pm on Maryland Public Television stations, will feature Wilson's research on the infamous Patty Cannon, the leader of a gang based on the Delmarva Peninsula during the early 19th century that made its living by kidnapping free African Americans and selling them into slavery. Wilson's book, published in 1994, includes a study of the activities of this notorious gang.
“Patty Cannon and her criminal exploits are the subject of much local mythology on Delmarva,” said Wilson, who served as a consultant to the show's producers and provided on air historical background on the activities of the Patty Cannon gang. Cannon and her ruthless band of kidnappers were based near the town of Reliance, Delaware, on the Dorchester County, Maryland line, where Cannon's house still stands.
“The history of the kidnapping of free African Americans in antebellum America is little known and studied,” said Wilson, whose 1994 book continues to be the only major scholarly work published on the subject. She was recently a panelist at a Smithsonian-sponsored conference on the Underground Railroad and shared her research on the “other” underground railroad in which thousands of free people were kidnapped and smuggled into slavery.
In 10 one-hour episodes of History Detectives, architects, historians and antiquarians will unlock the history behind any house or artifact. Using the latest technology combined with traditional investigative techniques History Detectives will make amazing discoveries about the homes and possessions of many ordinary Americans. Whether it's a family heirloom or a house with a mysterious past, the series will uncover the history on America's doorstep. Learn more about the series at www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives.