Chestertown, MD, September 30, 2003 — Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs presents “JERUSALEM WOMEN SPEAK: THREE WOMEN, THREE FAITHS, ONE SHARED VISION,” a panel discussion on peace in the Middle East, Israel and Palestine, Thursday, October 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
Organized by Partners for Peace, a non-profit organization which seeks to educate the American public about key issues in the quest for peace and justice in the Middle East, the “Jerusalem Women Speak” discussion brings together three panelists from Israel and Palestine: Yehudit Keshet, co-founder, Machsom Watch;
Rawan Damen, activist, writer and film maker; and Mai Nassar, professor of English, Bethlehem University. Designed to bring directly to Americans the voices of women from the Jerusalem area who live in the midst of the conflict, “Jerusalem Women Speak” tours have sought to reach the general public through World Affairs Councils, interfaith gatherings, universities and colleges, retirement communities, youth centers, and business and professional clubs since 1998.
Yehudit Keshet is a Jewish Israeli and co-founder of Machsom Watch, a women's human rights group committed to witnessing and documenting acts of abuse against civilians by Israeli soldiers at police and military checkpoints. She is currently writing a book on her experiences with this group. Born in South Wales, she is the daughter of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany in 1939. In 1958 Ms. Keshet left home to be a “pioneer” in Israel, but has lived in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. West Jerusalem became her permanent residence in 1974. Ms. Keshet's employment experience includes four years at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and seven years at the Israeli Institute of Talmudic Publications. From 1989-1993, she worked as regional director for a major immigration organization, the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel. In 1984, she founded The Tradition Center, a cooperative, multi-cultural puppet theater that works with sources common to Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions. Regarding the conflict, she believes “the only lasting solution can come when Israel recognizes the equal rights of Palestinians to self-determination, statehood and dignity.”
Rawan Damen, a resident of Ramallah, is a Muslim Palestinian, and at age 24, works as a children's rights activist, a documentary film maker, and author. Her film on Easter in Jerusalem, Waiting for Light (2001), was entered in the Milano, Chicago and IAMHIST Film Festivals in 2003. Her published books are Palestinian Children Before 1948 (1994), Expulsion in the Memory of Children (1997), and Our Schools in the Court of Justice: The Students Ring the Bell (2000). Damen obtained her M.A. in communication studies, with distinction, from Leeds University, UK, in 2003, and her B.A. in media and sociology from Birzeit University, West Bank, in 2001. Damen and her sister acted on their hopes for peace in 1995 by studying Hebrew with Jewish adults in Israel. They were the only adolescents, the only Muslims, and the only Palestinians enrolled.
Mai Nassar is a Christian Palestinian who was raised in the West Bank town of Beit Jala, where her family has lived for centuries. During the 1948 war her family fled to Jordan. They returned to their land years later, but parts of it were taken for building Jewish settlements following the 1967 war. During the past three years, Ms. Nassar's home in Beit Jala has been bombarded several times during battles between the Gilo settlement and Beit Jala. She and her family have managed to avoid physical harm during these skirmishes, but much of their personal property has been lost. Ms. Nassar has been a professor of English at Bethlehem University in the West Bank for 13 years. In 1995, she participated with Israeli and Palestinian educators in a program at Ohio University sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency. She also took part in an exchange program in conjunction with George Mason University in the summers of 1996-1998. The program explored the possibility of implementing a Conflict Analysis and Resolution program at Bethlehem University. She writes of the conflict, “We need different types of education for both groups [Israeli and Palestinian] in order to make both accept and adjust to having their two states live peacefully on one land.”
“Jerusalem Women Speak” is sponsored by Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, established in honor of the late Louis L. Goldstein, 1935 alumnus and Maryland's longest serving elected official. The Goldstein Program sponsors lectures, symposia, visiting fellows, travel and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders in public policy and the media.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Monday, September 29, 2003
Where The Past Meets The Present In Maryland's Suburban Landscape, Talk October 7
Chestertown, MD, September 29, 2003 — Washington College's Anthropology Club and campus chapter of the Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honor Society present “The Suburban Landscape: Where Past Meets Present,” a talk by Julie Ernstein, lecturer in anthropology, Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The lecture is free and the public is invited to attend.
A specialist in landscape archaeology, Ernstein will address the question “What's so interesting about the mid-century suburban landscape of Maryland?” In an illustrated update on her ongoing research into the Levitt-built suburbs of Maryland, Ernstein will connect the dots between the eighteenth-century, Colonial Revival, Populuxe, and late twentieth-century components associated with Belair Mansion in Bowie, MD. Come and learn why the suburban landscape is a whole lot more interesting than you think and what the integration of historical archaeology, oral history, and documentary research reveals about the suburban landscape as the deliberately fuzzy—but no less real—border between past and present.
A specialist in landscape archaeology, Ernstein will address the question “What's so interesting about the mid-century suburban landscape of Maryland?” In an illustrated update on her ongoing research into the Levitt-built suburbs of Maryland, Ernstein will connect the dots between the eighteenth-century, Colonial Revival, Populuxe, and late twentieth-century components associated with Belair Mansion in Bowie, MD. Come and learn why the suburban landscape is a whole lot more interesting than you think and what the integration of historical archaeology, oral history, and documentary research reveals about the suburban landscape as the deliberately fuzzy—but no less real—border between past and present.
From The Right: CNN's Robert Novak Previews The 2004 Presidential Prospects, October 21 At Washington College
Chestertown, MD, September 29, 2003 — Washington College's Harwood Lecture Series in American Journalism presents “FROM THE RIGHT: A Conservative Preview of the 2004 Presidential Race” with CNN political analyst Robert Novak, Tuesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hodson Hall Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend this timely discussion.
A nationally syndicated columnist, astute political observer, and journalist with five decades of political coverage under his belt, Novak participates in CNN's popular political talk and debate forums, CROSSFIRE and The Capital Gang, and helms The Novak Zone, CNN's weekly interview show. He joined CNN during its launch-year in 1980, teaming with the late political columnist Rowland Evans to host the discussion program Evans & Novak. When Evans lost his battle with cancer in 2001, Novak went on to co-anchor Novak, Hunt & Shields before the iconic roundtable was canceled in 2002. Now on CNN's CROSSFIRE, Novak and co-host Tucker Carlson square off with their co-hosts on the left side of the political aisle, James Carville and Paul Begala. Novak also serves a political analyst on Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff.
Novak began his career as a reporter while attending the University of Illinois from 1948-1952. Following service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he joined the Associated Press in Omaha, NE, and from there was assigned to Indianapolis, where he covered state politics. In 1957, the AP transferred him to Washington, DC, where he covered Congress. He joined The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau in 1958 as Senate correspondent and political reporter, becoming chief congressional correspondent for the newspaper in 1961. In 1963, he teamed with Evans, then congressional correspondent for The New York Herald-Tribune, to write the political column “Inside Report,” which he continues to this day from its home base at The Chicago Sun-Times. Novak's published books include Lyndon B. Johnson: The Exercise of Power (in collaboration with Rowland Evans), Nixon in the White House: The Frustration of Power, and The Reagan Revolution. He is the 2001 winner of the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award for lifetime achievement in journalism.
The Harwood Lecture Series in American Journalism is sponsored by the Richard Harwood Endowment Fund, established to honor the distinguished career of the late Washington Post columnist and ombudsman Richard Harwood, who served as a trustee and a lecturer in journalism at Washington College.
A nationally syndicated columnist, astute political observer, and journalist with five decades of political coverage under his belt, Novak participates in CNN's popular political talk and debate forums, CROSSFIRE and The Capital Gang, and helms The Novak Zone, CNN's weekly interview show. He joined CNN during its launch-year in 1980, teaming with the late political columnist Rowland Evans to host the discussion program Evans & Novak. When Evans lost his battle with cancer in 2001, Novak went on to co-anchor Novak, Hunt & Shields before the iconic roundtable was canceled in 2002. Now on CNN's CROSSFIRE, Novak and co-host Tucker Carlson square off with their co-hosts on the left side of the political aisle, James Carville and Paul Begala. Novak also serves a political analyst on Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff.
Novak began his career as a reporter while attending the University of Illinois from 1948-1952. Following service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he joined the Associated Press in Omaha, NE, and from there was assigned to Indianapolis, where he covered state politics. In 1957, the AP transferred him to Washington, DC, where he covered Congress. He joined The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau in 1958 as Senate correspondent and political reporter, becoming chief congressional correspondent for the newspaper in 1961. In 1963, he teamed with Evans, then congressional correspondent for The New York Herald-Tribune, to write the political column “Inside Report,” which he continues to this day from its home base at The Chicago Sun-Times. Novak's published books include Lyndon B. Johnson: The Exercise of Power (in collaboration with Rowland Evans), Nixon in the White House: The Frustration of Power, and The Reagan Revolution. He is the 2001 winner of the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award for lifetime achievement in journalism.
The Harwood Lecture Series in American Journalism is sponsored by the Richard Harwood Endowment Fund, established to honor the distinguished career of the late Washington Post columnist and ombudsman Richard Harwood, who served as a trustee and a lecturer in journalism at Washington College.
Eyes In The Sky: BAI Aerosystems To Demonstrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles At Washington College, October 22
Talk on Small Business Defense Contracting to Follow
BAI Aerosystems was founded in 1985 to address the needs of the emerging UAV market for lightweight, low-cost composite aircraft components. Since then, BAI's focus as a small business defense contractor has expanded to a complete line offering UAVs, flight control systems, datalinks, sensors, field support and training. Over the last 18 years, BAI has supplied UAVs for military and commercial airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and remote sensing.
BAI's president and CEO, Richard Bernstein, acquired the company in 1990 and moved it from Rockville to Easton, MD, to be nearer his home. Holding professional licenses in manufacturing management and commercial aircraft piloting, Mr. Bernstein attended the Virginia Military Institute, earned an undergraduate degree from Salisbury University, and received his MBA from Purdue University. He has more than 30 years of experience in the development and manufacturing of electronic components and sub-systems for the microwave industry. In addition to BAI, Bernstein founded K & L Microwave (now owned by the Dover Corporation) and oversees BAI's affiliates Lorch Microwave and Filter Networks. Mr. Bernstein serves on the Board of Visitors and Governors of Washington College, the Dean's Advisory Committee of Purdue University's Krannert School of Management, the Foundation Board of the Virginia Military Institute, and the national Advisory Boards of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce. He and his wife, Ellen, reside in Oxford, MD, and have eight children and five grandchildren.
The talk is sponsored by the J. C. Jones Seminar in American Business, established in honor of the late James C. Jones, Jr., a Baltimore businessman and 1947 graduate of Washington College who remained active throughout his life in alumni affairs and served on the Board of Visitors and Governors of the College.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Guitar Maker Paul Reed Smith And Band To Rock Washington College's Town Hall, October 17
Chestertown, MD, September 17, 2003 — Washington College welcomes world-renowned guitar maker Paul Reed Smith and his band to the College's Town Hall, Friday, October 17, starting at 9 p.m. The concert is free to all Washington College students, staff and faculty. Born in Bowie, MD, Smith attended Bowie High School and St. Mary's College, where he hand-built his first guitar for extra credits from his music professor. In 1975, Smith opened The Guitar Shop on 33 West Street in downtown Annapolis and custom built guitars for area musicians, honing his craft and hoping for a break into the rock music industry.
“I remember hanging out at the local concert arenas for six, seven hours before a show to make friends with the roadies,” says Smith. “With a backstage pass in hand I'd peddle my guitars to the stars. One night in ten I'd make a sale. Carlos Santana, Al Dimeola, Howard Leese, and well-known others agreed to ‘check one out.' I made deals. If the big names didn't love the guitars they didn't have to pay me even when I knew I couldn't make my rent the next day. After getting some single orders and a small following, we built two prototypes. I popped them in the back seat of my truck and cranked it up, calling on guitar dealers up and down the East Coast. After a lot of miles I came back with enough orders to start a company.”
Now, after a quarter century—from lone craftsman to major manufacturer—Smith and his company, PRS Guitars, are recognized for building the world's premier electric guitars. Manufactured on the Eastern Shore in Stevensville, MD, the distinctive style and sound of PRS guitars are known to both musicians and music fans alike, and are seen in the hands of the world's finest players, from Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, and Dave Navarro to Alex Lifeson of Rush and Brad Delson of Linkin Park.
In his spare time, Smith enjoys playing and making music with his two bands, the Paul Reed Smith Dragons, which records guitar-driven, original songs, and the Paul Reed Smith Band, which he describes as “a bar band whose main job is to have fun and to make sure that the people who come get to dance, have a good time and listen to songs they know and hear a few tunes they don't.”
The Paul Reed Smith Band performance is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.
“I remember hanging out at the local concert arenas for six, seven hours before a show to make friends with the roadies,” says Smith. “With a backstage pass in hand I'd peddle my guitars to the stars. One night in ten I'd make a sale. Carlos Santana, Al Dimeola, Howard Leese, and well-known others agreed to ‘check one out.' I made deals. If the big names didn't love the guitars they didn't have to pay me even when I knew I couldn't make my rent the next day. After getting some single orders and a small following, we built two prototypes. I popped them in the back seat of my truck and cranked it up, calling on guitar dealers up and down the East Coast. After a lot of miles I came back with enough orders to start a company.”
Now, after a quarter century—from lone craftsman to major manufacturer—Smith and his company, PRS Guitars, are recognized for building the world's premier electric guitars. Manufactured on the Eastern Shore in Stevensville, MD, the distinctive style and sound of PRS guitars are known to both musicians and music fans alike, and are seen in the hands of the world's finest players, from Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, and Dave Navarro to Alex Lifeson of Rush and Brad Delson of Linkin Park.
In his spare time, Smith enjoys playing and making music with his two bands, the Paul Reed Smith Dragons, which records guitar-driven, original songs, and the Paul Reed Smith Band, which he describes as “a bar band whose main job is to have fun and to make sure that the people who come get to dance, have a good time and listen to songs they know and hear a few tunes they don't.”
The Paul Reed Smith Band performance is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.
3 Doors Down Plays Washington College, October 18
Chestertown, MD, September 17, 2003 — The post-grunge quartet 3 Doors Down, with opening band Seether, will play Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center on Saturday, October 18. Doors open at 7 p.m., concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale September 22 for students and September 26 for general public. Tickets are available to Washington College students for $15.00 at the Student Affairs office and $25.00 for the general public through MusicToday, $30 for the general public the day of the show.
Born in the small town of Escatawpa, MS, 3 Doors Down was formed in the mid-1990s by friends Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, and Todd Harrell, with guitarist Chris Henderson added to the line-up shortly afterwards. 3 Doors Down established themselves as one of the leading live attractions on the local circuit and released a self-titled demo CD in 1997. With a beefy sound, explosive dynamics and a high-impact blend of modern sonics and timeless rock conventions, 3 Doors Down became took a showcase slot at New York's CBGB's, which eventually led to a deal with the Universal Records subsidiary, Republic. Drummer Richard Liles was added to the line-up during recording sessions for the band's major label debut to allow Arnold to concentrate on vocals. The band's first major label release, The Better Life, elicited immediate comparisons to Matchbox 20. With tracks alternately evoking a slick, post-grunge sound or heavy, 1970s-style melodic rock, The Better Life became one of the surprise hits of the summer of 2000, reaching double platinum status and breaking into the Billboard Top 10. The band's second album, Away From The Sun, was also a national hit and launched the successful single, “When I'm Gone.”
Opening act Seether formed in 1999 in their home country of South Africa. Their first release, Fragile, gained instant notoriety and the band subsequently emerged as a top live draw. Their latest release, Disclaimer, was produced by Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Drowning Pool) and features the songs "Pig," "Needles," and "Gasoline."
The concert is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.
Born in the small town of Escatawpa, MS, 3 Doors Down was formed in the mid-1990s by friends Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, and Todd Harrell, with guitarist Chris Henderson added to the line-up shortly afterwards. 3 Doors Down established themselves as one of the leading live attractions on the local circuit and released a self-titled demo CD in 1997. With a beefy sound, explosive dynamics and a high-impact blend of modern sonics and timeless rock conventions, 3 Doors Down became took a showcase slot at New York's CBGB's, which eventually led to a deal with the Universal Records subsidiary, Republic. Drummer Richard Liles was added to the line-up during recording sessions for the band's major label debut to allow Arnold to concentrate on vocals. The band's first major label release, The Better Life, elicited immediate comparisons to Matchbox 20. With tracks alternately evoking a slick, post-grunge sound or heavy, 1970s-style melodic rock, The Better Life became one of the surprise hits of the summer of 2000, reaching double platinum status and breaking into the Billboard Top 10. The band's second album, Away From The Sun, was also a national hit and launched the successful single, “When I'm Gone.”
Opening act Seether formed in 1999 in their home country of South Africa. Their first release, Fragile, gained instant notoriety and the band subsequently emerged as a top live draw. Their latest release, Disclaimer, was produced by Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Drowning Pool) and features the songs "Pig," "Needles," and "Gasoline."
The concert is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Hurricane Isabel Preparedness Plan: College Closed Sept. 18 & 19
Chestertown, MD, September 16, 2003 — Washington College has established the following Preparedness Plan in anticipation of the likelihood that Hurricane Isabel will affect Chestertown and the greater Chesapeake Bay region.
The National Weather Service has been tracking Hurricane Isabel in the Atlantic Ocean where it is currently a Category 4 hurricane with wind speed of 150 miles per hour. As of 5:00 a.m. EDT this morning, Hurricane Isabel was projected to reach the Mid-Atlantic area on Thursday, with effects on Chestertown projected to be at the Category 2 level with sustained winds of 96 - 115 mph and a tidal surge of up to 4 feet. In the event the hurricane makes landfall in this area, services might be greatly reduced. The campus would most likely experience power outages, heavy winds, blowing debris, rain and flooding.
In consultation with the Kent County Emergency Management Team, the President's Office has established the following plan to meet the safety needs of our students, faculty and staff.
In order to make up for the canceling of classes for two days in the already tight fall semester, additional days will be used for classes. The first of these is Friday, October 10, previously scheduled for Fall Break but now to be utilized by the regular Friday classes. (Instructors are asked to make accommodation for students who cannot remain on campus that Friday.) Arrangements will be announced later in the semester to make up the missed class on Thursday, September 18.
2) The WC Dining Service will be open to serve students during its standard hours through Wednesday, and between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5p.m.-6.p.m. on Thursday and Friday. WCDS hopes to return to the regular meal schedule on Saturday. Students may eat-in or carry-out on Thursday and Friday. Students may want to have a supply of water and non-perishable food on hand in their rooms.
3) Students remaining on campus are encouraged to remain in their residence halls for the duration of the storm and take precaution, including appropriate protective clothing, if venturing outside. Please be aware that there might be power outages during the storm and live power lines on the ground. DO NOT approach a downed power line. Resident Assistants will have first aid supplies and a limited supply of bottled water and nonperishable food in case of an emergency.
4) Students are encouraged to shut down and unplug computer equipment, televisions and other electronic equipment before leaving campus. Those who remain on campus should do likewise as the storm system approaches.
5) If power fails, PLEASE DO NOT use candles or oil lamps for light. Rather, use battery-powered flashlights and lamps.
6) Individuals with special sheltering or evacuation needs should contact the Department of Public Safety (x. 7810), Health Services (x. 7261) or the Student Affairs Office (x. 7752) for assistance.
7) All students, as well as faculty and staff, are encouraged to follow The Office of Homeland Security?s recommendations for minimum personal supplies to maintain in case of an emergency. These include: Bottled water and nonperishable food Battery-operated flashlight and radio (w/ extra batteries) Personal care items and extra supply of medications First Aid Kit Appropriate clothing and shoes
410-778-2800
) and with local and regional radio stations (WCTR 1530 AM, WBAL 1090 AM, and WSCL Radio 89.5 FM). Note: In the event of a power failure on campus, the College homepage will not be available.
The National Weather Service has been tracking Hurricane Isabel in the Atlantic Ocean where it is currently a Category 4 hurricane with wind speed of 150 miles per hour. As of 5:00 a.m. EDT this morning, Hurricane Isabel was projected to reach the Mid-Atlantic area on Thursday, with effects on Chestertown projected to be at the Category 2 level with sustained winds of 96 - 115 mph and a tidal surge of up to 4 feet. In the event the hurricane makes landfall in this area, services might be greatly reduced. The campus would most likely experience power outages, heavy winds, blowing debris, rain and flooding.
In consultation with the Kent County Emergency Management Team, the President's Office has established the following plan to meet the safety needs of our students, faculty and staff.
STUDENTS
1) Classes are CANCELLED beginning 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and all day Thursday and Friday. Students who live within driving distance are advised to leave campus and return to their homes after class on Wednesday, and to stay at home until the storm has passed. Classes will resume on Monday, September 22. All athletic contests and co-curricular activities from Wednesday through Sunday, as well as the meeting of the Board of Visitors and Governors, have also been cancelled.In order to make up for the canceling of classes for two days in the already tight fall semester, additional days will be used for classes. The first of these is Friday, October 10, previously scheduled for Fall Break but now to be utilized by the regular Friday classes. (Instructors are asked to make accommodation for students who cannot remain on campus that Friday.) Arrangements will be announced later in the semester to make up the missed class on Thursday, September 18.
2) The WC Dining Service will be open to serve students during its standard hours through Wednesday, and between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5p.m.-6.p.m. on Thursday and Friday. WCDS hopes to return to the regular meal schedule on Saturday. Students may eat-in or carry-out on Thursday and Friday. Students may want to have a supply of water and non-perishable food on hand in their rooms.
3) Students remaining on campus are encouraged to remain in their residence halls for the duration of the storm and take precaution, including appropriate protective clothing, if venturing outside. Please be aware that there might be power outages during the storm and live power lines on the ground. DO NOT approach a downed power line. Resident Assistants will have first aid supplies and a limited supply of bottled water and nonperishable food in case of an emergency.
4) Students are encouraged to shut down and unplug computer equipment, televisions and other electronic equipment before leaving campus. Those who remain on campus should do likewise as the storm system approaches.
5) If power fails, PLEASE DO NOT use candles or oil lamps for light. Rather, use battery-powered flashlights and lamps.
6) Individuals with special sheltering or evacuation needs should contact the Department of Public Safety (x. 7810), Health Services (x. 7261) or the Student Affairs Office (x. 7752) for assistance.
7) All students, as well as faculty and staff, are encouraged to follow The Office of Homeland Security?s recommendations for minimum personal supplies to maintain in case of an emergency. These include: Bottled water and nonperishable food Battery-operated flashlight and radio (w/ extra batteries) Personal care items and extra supply of medications First Aid Kit Appropriate clothing and shoes
FACULTY & STAFF
The College will be open during normal working hours Wednesday for faculty and staff, but will be closed Thursday and Friday. Only essential personnel from Public Safety, Buildings & Grounds, and the Dining Service are to report to work.ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES
Announcements and updates on the storm and the status of the College will be posted via a link on the College?s homepage, www.washcoll.edu, as well as the Campus Switchboard (410-778-2800) and with local and regional radio stations (WCTR 1530 AM, WBAL 1090 AM, and WSCL Radio 89.5 FM). Note: In the event of a power failure on campus, the College homepage will not be available.
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
John S. Toll, Washington College Named First Recipients Of J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Community Service Award
Chestertown, MD, September 3, 2003 — Dr. John S. Toll and Washington College have been chosen by the Board of Directors of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation to be the first recipients of the "J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Community Service Award." The Willis Award was created this year to recognize a non-profit organization in the five-county Mid-Shore region that has provided exceptional service to the region, and to the individual most responsible for its success.
"During the last eight years, Washington College has emerged as one of the most highly regarded small colleges in the nation," said Charles T. Capute, chair of the Community Foundation. "To everyone involved, it is clear that the credit for this achievement belongs to Dr. Toll."
The award's namesake, J. McKenny Willis, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on October 31, is one of the Mid-Shore's most legendary community leaders. During his 65-year career Mr. Willis helped create and support many of the non-profit institutions now serving our region, including Memorial Hospital, the Talbot County YMCA and the Talbot County United Fund.
Dr. Toll, former Chancellor of the University of Maryland System, has served as President of Washington College since 1995. He recently announced his retirement from that post in 2004, following the successful completion of a five-year $92 million-plus campaign that has helped to re-establish the College as one of the premier institutions in its class.
A physicist by training, Dr. Toll worked at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory before joining the University of Maryland as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1953. He was named President of the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1965, and returned to Maryland to serve as President, and then the first Chancellor for the University of Maryland System from 1978 to 1989.
Dr. Toll has been the recipient of numerous awards during his career, including "Washingtonian of the Year" in 1985; Yale University Award for Distinguished Contributions, 1996; Lifetime Achievement Award, Maryland Association for Higher Education, 2000; Newsday Long Islander of the Century, 2000; and Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished Marylander for the Year, 2000.
Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown. Washington College was recently recognized as one of the top 100 Best Liberal Arts Colleges nationally by U.S. News & World Report, and as one of the nation's Top 120 colleges in the forthcoming book, "Colleges of Distinction" (fall, 2003). Through programs such as its annual "Into Streets Day of Service," in which 360 incoming freshmen participated this August, and its Service Learning Program, Washington College encourages its students to volunteer and share their time and talents with local community organizations.
The Mid-Shore Community Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization in the five-county Mid-Shore region. The Foundation administers more than 50 charitable funds with a combined asset value in excess of $16 million. During its most recent fiscal year the Foundation distributed nearly $650,000 in charitable gifts, largely to non-profit organizations in the Mid-Shore region.
The Willis Award will be presented Thursday, October 9 at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD.
"During the last eight years, Washington College has emerged as one of the most highly regarded small colleges in the nation," said Charles T. Capute, chair of the Community Foundation. "To everyone involved, it is clear that the credit for this achievement belongs to Dr. Toll."
The award's namesake, J. McKenny Willis, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on October 31, is one of the Mid-Shore's most legendary community leaders. During his 65-year career Mr. Willis helped create and support many of the non-profit institutions now serving our region, including Memorial Hospital, the Talbot County YMCA and the Talbot County United Fund.
Dr. Toll, former Chancellor of the University of Maryland System, has served as President of Washington College since 1995. He recently announced his retirement from that post in 2004, following the successful completion of a five-year $92 million-plus campaign that has helped to re-establish the College as one of the premier institutions in its class.
A physicist by training, Dr. Toll worked at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory before joining the University of Maryland as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1953. He was named President of the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1965, and returned to Maryland to serve as President, and then the first Chancellor for the University of Maryland System from 1978 to 1989.
Dr. Toll has been the recipient of numerous awards during his career, including "Washingtonian of the Year" in 1985; Yale University Award for Distinguished Contributions, 1996; Lifetime Achievement Award, Maryland Association for Higher Education, 2000; Newsday Long Islander of the Century, 2000; and Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished Marylander for the Year, 2000.
Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown. Washington College was recently recognized as one of the top 100 Best Liberal Arts Colleges nationally by U.S. News & World Report, and as one of the nation's Top 120 colleges in the forthcoming book, "Colleges of Distinction" (fall, 2003). Through programs such as its annual "Into Streets Day of Service," in which 360 incoming freshmen participated this August, and its Service Learning Program, Washington College encourages its students to volunteer and share their time and talents with local community organizations.
The Mid-Shore Community Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization in the five-county Mid-Shore region. The Foundation administers more than 50 charitable funds with a combined asset value in excess of $16 million. During its most recent fiscal year the Foundation distributed nearly $650,000 in charitable gifts, largely to non-profit organizations in the Mid-Shore region.
The Willis Award will be presented Thursday, October 9 at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD.