Hodson Trust, Washington College Award Scholarships to Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan Conflicts

Chestertown, MD, July 31, 2007 — In an effort to honor Maryland military personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Hodson Trust and Washington College have established the Hodson Trust Star Scholarships. The first three recipients, two from the Iraq conflict and the other from the Afghanistan campaign, will begin classes at Washington College this fall semester.

The undergraduate and graduate scholarships will meet 100 percent of Washington College's annual tuition, room, board, books and mandatory student fees not otherwise met by federal, state and outside assistance.

Washington College's student body this fall will include three young men who, rather than arriving on campus with fresh fond memories of high-school senior year, come to this haven of learning from the tough, grim front lines of a protracted conflict in far-flung parts of the world. Lance Corporal James H. Schelberg, of the 4th U.S. Marine Division's 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, recently returned from service in Haditha, in Iraq's Anbar Province—seat of the insurgent resistance and center of some of the fiercest hostility faced by coalition forces. Arriving from the same theater of operations is Corporal Charles P. Grigg, likewise of the 4th Marine Division. Rounding out the initial three is Wilhelm Gundlach, a Psychological Operations Specialist with Detachment 900 of the U.S. Army's Airborne Rangers, who performed dangerous missions in Afghanistan.

"This is a huge opportunity that the Hodson Trust and Washington College have given me and the other veterans," said Corporal Schelberg, a Baltimore Countian. "I look forward to throwing myself back into the academic community after a few years of being in its absence."

Corporal Grigg, who hails from the Annapolis area, said, "I just want to express my gratitude to the Hodson Trust for providing such a great scholarship. I look forward to attending Washington College to finish my bachelor's degree. I'm especially looking forward to experiencing all the college has to offer, and hope that the experiences I have will help me better serve and influence those around me."

"I'm extremely enthusiastic and excited to be able to study at Washington College," said Specialist Gundlach, a Chestertown resident, "and I'm equally extremely grateful to the Hodson Trust for making this opportunity possible."

Three other Maryland schools—the Johns Hopkins University, Hood College and St. John's College—also are participating in the Hodson Trust Star Scholarship. In addition to Washington College, veteran-recipients currently are slated for Hood College and Johns Hopkins University.

"We are delighted to be able to support these American stars, who have served our country in harm's way and now will contribute even more as they continue their education," said Finn Caspersen, Chairman of the Hodson Trust. "The Hodson Trust is proud of these first scholarship recipients and pleased to assist in repaying our country's debt to these fine servicemen."

"Washington College is honored that these three distinguished young men will join the student body this fall, and grateful to the Hodson Trust for making this wonderful scholarship possible," said Washington College President Baird Tipson.

Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts and sciences college located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it was the first college chartered in the new nation.

Washington College Establishes Scholarship in Honor of Sheryl V. Kerr

Chestertown, MD, July 12, 2007 — Washington College is pleased to announce the establishment of a new scholarship in honor of longtime College supporter and former Board member Sheryl "Shery" Kerr.

An emerita member of the College's Board of Visitors and Governors, Kerr served as a member of the Board of Visitors and Governors from 1997 until 2003, and is an honorary degree recipient.

The Sheryl V. Kerr H'04 Scholarship will provide financial aid to non-traditional students, that is, students who attend college at a later point in life than the typical high-school-to-college track. The scholarship will give support to its first recipient in the 2007-2008 academic year.

"It is a real pleasure to create this scholarship in honor of Shery Kerr," said Washington College President Baird Tipson. "Her leadership has played an important role in shaping the direction of the College, and we are especially pleased that she has inspired us to make opportunities for study available to non-traditional students. Many of them would not be able to return to college while balancing the demands of work and raising a family without this kind of support."

Kerr received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from the College in 2004. In awarding her the degree, then-Washington College President John Toll praised her as "a woman of purpose whose philanthropic aim is to elevate the human spirit and to shape a world in which that spirit can flourish. Shery Kerr understands what makes our nation great. With the extraordinary commitment that she and her husband Breene have made to this institution, she has helped us to recognize how great we might become. Her faith in the power of education, her affection for our students, and her business acumen have brought us to this moment."

Washington College President Tipson Joins Nationwide Effort, Signs Climate Commitment Pledge

Chestertown, MD, July 9, 2007 — As part of a nationwide incentive to further the cause of environmental sustainability, Washington College President Baird Tipson has joined with leaders of more than 300 institutions of higher learning in signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Building on the growing momentum for leadership and action on climate change, the Presidents Climate Commitment provides a framework and support for America's colleges and universities to go "climate neutral." With 319 signatories to date, it is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse-gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate.

Launched in December 2006, the Commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that colleges and universities have as role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic and technological solutions to reverse global warming.

Washington College's signing of the Commitment reflects the increasing momentum of its environmental initiatives, spearheaded by the Center for Environment & Society. Located in the historic Custom House along the Chester River, the Center supports interdisciplinary research and education, exemplary stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and the integration of ecological and social values. Ecologically minded students are active in the Student Environmental Alliance, and the College is gaining renown both regionally and nationally for its "George Goes Green" environmental-sustainability campaign.

In addition to Washington College, other Maryland schools that have signed on to the Commitment are Frostburg State University, Goucher College, Howard Community College, McDaniel College, Mount St. Mary's University and the University of Maryland, College Park.

"When Washington College was approached about participating in this Climate Commitment, we were eager to take part," Tipson said. "With campaigns such as 'George Goes Green,' the students and staff at our Center for Environment & Society had kept the campus community focused on environmentally friendly initiatives, and the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Visitors and Governors had already decided that future campus buildings would meet strict environmental standards. By banding together with colleges and universities across the country, the College becomes part of an initiative that can help direct everyone's attention to the importance of addressing the challenge of global warming."

By signing the Commitment, Tipson has pledged that Washington College will eliminate its greenhouse-gas emissions over time. This major undertaking is fivefold: 1) completing an emissions inventory; 2) within two years, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral; 3) taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions; 4) integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience; and 5) making the action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available.

"We, the undersigned presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities, are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects," the Commitment reads. "While we understand that there might be short-term challenges associated with this effort, we believe that there will be great short-, medium- and long-term economic, health, social and environmental benefits, including achieving energy independence for the U.S. as quickly as possible."

C.V. Starr Center Embarks on 'A Chesapeake Journey: from Slavery to Freedom'

Chestertown, MD, June 29, 2007 — The story of slavery in America and the story of the Chesapeake Bay region have been intertwined since the beginning: from the first North American shipload of Africans in chains, to the heroic achievements of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, to Nat Turner and one of the largest slave uprisings in American history, the Chesapeake provided the regional stage for a national saga. From enslavement to liberation to hard-fought civil rights, it is a saga that continued through to the all-too-recent past, and still echoes in our national life, constantly and on multiple levels, today.

On a quest to explore this vital thread of history, Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is embarking this July on "A Chesapeake Journey: From Slavery to Freedom." Traveling by roadway and waterway, circumnavigating the entire Bay region, "A Chesapeake Journey" will visit various Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., sites that shed light on the history of American slavery and the African-American struggle. Along the route, the itinerant party of Washington College faculty, staff, students and other area participants will be joined by prominent historians whose lectures will enhance the exploration of historic locales, tying them in with the larger themes. Living history presentations and discussions with a variety of experts on African-American history will round out the week-long tour. Interested members of the public can follow the Chesapeake Journey trip at the program's website, which includes a full itinerary and a blog that will chronicle the trip day-by-day in words and pictures.

A summer institute funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History Program, "A Chesapeake Journey" is a capstone offering of the four-year Washington's Legacy program. Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the C.V. Starr Center, will lead the institute along with Alexa Cawley, Assistant Professor of History at Delaware State University. Historical issues that will be explored include the arrival of the first Africans in America, the development of the Chesapeake plantation culture, the experience of free blacks during the colonial and antebellum periods, the rise of the abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad, the life stories of such figures as Frederick Douglass, African-American participation in the Revolution and Civil War, and current attempts to memorialize slavery and freedom.

"A Chesapeake Journey" begins on Sunday, July 8, in Chestertown at Custom House, home of the C.V. Starr Center, for introductions and an overview of the planned itinerary. From Chestertown the group will travel to the birthplace of Frederick Douglass, then on to the plantation where he lived briefly as a child, a mansion that has remained in the same family for 11 generations. In Easton, historian Ira Berlin will present a lecture and discussion providing an overview of slavery in the Chesapeake. A Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, Berlin is the author of several books on slavery, including Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in Mainland North America and Generations of Captivity: A History of Slaves in the United States.

On July 9, the route heads southward and across the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to Hampton, Va., for a visit to the site where the first enslaved Africans set foot in the American colonies. On July 10, the travelers will spend the entire day at Colonial Williamsburg, where they will participate in a storytelling workshop and view living history demonstrations that shed light on the inherent contradiction of owning slaves during the struggle for independence from Britain.

At Yorktown, the party will board the charter boat North Star on July 11 and head up the Bay. While underway, there will be a discussion of the routes over both water and land that slaves followed when escaping from bondage. Historian T. Stephen Williams will accompany the voyage and discuss resistance to slavery, including abolitionism and the Underground Railroad. The story will be told of the schooner Pearl, a vessel that carried escaping slaves over these very waters in 1848.

The North Star will put in at St. Mary's City, the site of Maryland's first capital, built upon the success of tobacco cultivation. The region served as the cradle of a new and distinctly American culture, blending elements of Africa, Europe and the New World. On July 12, "A Chesapeake Journey" will feature a day of hands-on programming, beginning with an examination of artifacts unearthed by St. Mary's City archaeologists and discussion about bringing archaeology and artifacts into the classroom.

From St. Mary's City, the journey route wends its way to Sotterley, an excellent example of a Tidewater plantation. The group will learn about the generations of the white owners and enslaved men, women and children who interacted on this site during its long history. The group will explore both the 1703 mansion and a rare 1830s slave house, while learning about Sotterly's innovative approaches to teaching history by using site-specific primary sources, archaeological excavations and the landscape.

From Sotterley, it will be on to Alexandria, Va., one one of the nation's largest export markets for the sale of slaves to the Deep South. Here the traveling party will spend the next two nights. There will be a late-afternoon walking tour of some of the many significant African-American sites in the area, including the remains of a slave market.

July 13 will be spent at George Washington's Mount Vernon, with an exploration of the controversy surrounding Washington's ownership of more than 300 slaves. Renowned author Henry Wiencek will set the stage at Alexandria's Lyceum with a lecture on the paradoxes, both individual and national, embodied in Washington's relationship with slavery. Once at Mount Vernon, the group will learn about slave life on the plantation and the relationship between the Washington family and members of its enslaved work force. Staff members engaged in interpreting this history, as well as a direct descendant of Washington slaves, will meet with the group.

The journey concludes on July 14 with a visit to Frederick Douglass's home in Washington, D.C., and a talk by American University's Edward C. Smith, an expert on Douglass's life and legacy. Smith will discuss the crucial role Douglass played during and after the Civil War. A stop at the Freedman's Memorial in Lincoln Park—dedicated in April 1876 with an oration by Douglass himself—will provide participants with an enduring image of the task before them: helping others to understand and challenge the legacies of slavery that still form part of the national landscape.

Established in 2000 with a grant from the New York-based Starr Foundation, the C.V. Starr Center draws on the special historical strengths of Washington College and colonial Chestertown to explore the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture, through innovative educational programs, scholarship and public outreach. In addition to the Presidential Fellows Program, the Starr Center also offers a range of special programs and extracurricular opportunities to Washington College students, including the Comegys Bight Fellowships and Frederick Douglass Fellowships, as well as weekend road trips and summer programs. For more information, visit http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

Heather Spurrier Joins Washington College Development Team

Chestertown, MD, June 21, 2007 — Washington College is pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Spurrier as Associate Director of Development for Major and Planned Giving.

A graduate of Washington College (Class of 2000), Spurrier also has a J.D. (2003) from the University of Maryland School of Law. She is returning to Chestertown by way of the Rockville-based law firm Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A. As an associate of the firm, she worked on estate planning and administration as well as commercial litigation.

Previously, Spurrier was the Everett Intern at Ashoka, an Arlington, Virginia-based global association of entrepreneurs developing solutions to urgent social problems. There she formulated a step-by-step legal process for implementing shared parks in urban areas, created policy recommendations for city leaders to develop community green space, and encouraged and motivated community members toward that same goal.

"We are all very pleased that Heather has joined the advancement team," said Jeffrey Appel, Director of Development Programs at Washington College. "Her legal background and the fact that she's an alumna of the college make her a perfect fit for this vital role. In addition, she brings a new and exciting perspective to our gift planning program."

Since graduating from Washington College, Spurrier has remained an involved alumna, serving as Alumnae Relations Advisor and Chapter Relations Advisor to Alpha Omicron Pi, and as the Class of 2000 Agent. She also has been a fundraising participant for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and a fundraising organizer for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

"I am excited to once again be a part of the Washington College community," said Spurrier, "and I look forward to working with alumni and friends of the College."

Historian Jill Ogline Appointed Associate Director of C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience

Chestertown, MD, June 12, 2007 — Washington College is pleased to announce that Jill Ogline has been appointed Associate Director of the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience.

Established in 2000 with a grant from the New York-based Starr Foundation, the C.V. Starr Center draws on the special historical strengths of Washington College and colonial Chestertown to explore the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture, through innovative educational programs, scholarship and public outreach.

Ogline, who received her Ph.D. in History this spring from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, served as coordinator of the University of Massachusetts History Institute, a program that trains K-12 teachers in creative approaches to history education.

She also has worked extensively for the National Park Service at Independence National Historical Park and Gettysburg National Military Park, as well as contributing significantly to the National Park Service's Civic Engagement Initiative, an effort to make the parks' interpretation of history more responsive to the interests and concerns of a diverse public.

Ogline helped create the National Historic Landmarks Program's Sites of Conscience Project, which encourages stewards of historic properties to make their sites centers of civic dialogue. She has served as a historical interpreter at Independence Hall and as project coordinator at the Walden Woods Project, where she assisted in the creation of an interdisciplinary "Thoreau and Conscience" program.

Ogline's scholarly work has covered a broad span of American history. Her dissertation examines the contentious battle over school integration in Prince Edward County, Va., in the 1950s and 1960s, incorporating documentary evidence, oral history and a look at continuing repercussions in the community. Ogline also has published eloquent articles on topics of early American history, such as a powerful essay for The Public Historian on the discovery of George Washington's slave quarters (used during his presidency) under the site of the Liberty Bell pavilion in Philadelphia.

Ogline graduated summa cum laude in History from Taylor University in 2001, and spent an undergraduate semester studying history at Keble College, Oxford University.

"After she visited Chestertown this spring and met with students, faculty, and staff, it became clear that Jill Ogline was the standout in an outstanding group of more than 60 applicants nationwide for this newly created position," said Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the C.V. Starr Center. "She is a brilliant historian who, rather than choosing to follow a traditional professorial career, wishes to engage broader audiences through public-history programs and writing. Jill has a quiet but strong conviction that history matters because it can teach us to be better people and better citizens, with a more generous and nuanced understanding of ourselves and of one another."

Ogline will play a key role in some new Starr Center initiatives, including a merit scholarship program for high school students interested in history, and an expanded program of writing fellowships, which will bring nationally distinguished historians to Chestertown for yearlong residencies, during which they will write, lecture and teach at the College. Next month, she will help to lead the special Starr Center travel program "A Chesapeake Journey: From Slavery to Freedom," which will take a group of Washington College students and Maryland teachers on a trip around the Chesapeake Bay and through more than two centuries of American history, addressing the roots of slavery and its lasting impact on our society.

"The Starr Center's commitment to bringing history to life for Washington College students and the greater public excites me to no end," said Ogline. "When we understand the past as a living presence in our own time—a force subtly yet profoundly shaping the present—we are better equipped to engage responsibly with the world around us."

Christalyn Janee Frison Named 2007 Recipient of Vincent Hynson Scholarship at Washington College

Chestertown, MD, June 1, 2007 — Christalyn Janee Frison—a Kent County High School senior from Still Pond and daughter of the Rev. Leon and Karen A. Frison—has been selected as the second recipient of the Kent County Vincent Hynson '87 Scholarship Award.

Established last year in honor of the late Rev. Vincent Hynson, a Washington College alumnus and community leader who passed away in 2004, the scholarship will meet 100 percent of Frison's annual educational expenses—tuition, room, board and book costs—not met by federal and state need-based grants.

The Hynson Scholarship is offered to an entering freshman who is a graduate of a secondary school in Kent County, who demonstrates financial need, and whose achievements and aspirations most closely emulate the values of Hynson, who led an exemplary life as a teacher, coach, pastor and leader in the Kent County community.

Hynson, a graduate of Kent County High School, attended Washington College as a non-traditional student, receiving a degree in history in 1987.

Washington College President Baird Tipson was instrumental in creating the scholarship, donating $10,000 out of his own salary to initiate the award, and increasing that support this year. The scholarship also is supported by a lead gift from the Indian Point Foundation and gifts from some 500 community members.

"Being selected as the Vincent Hynson Scholar is a tremendous blessing to me and my family," said Frison upon learning that she had been awarded the scholarship. "Vincent Hynson was actually a distant cousin and close family friend, so it's flattering to be considered a reflection of his values. I hope that I can continue to be even a shadow of the role model that he was."

"I've had the honor of knowing Christa and her entire family for the last 10 years," said Julie Gerding, Frison's high school counselor. "In addition to having a great sense of humor and amazing personality, she has contributed so much to her school, the community and her church. She embraces the true spirit of what Vincent Hynson stood for, and Vincent would be happy knowing that Christa received this scholarship in his name."