MERCK & CO. STONEWALL PLANT GIVES JMU $300,000.

Dr. Joanne Carr, University Advancement, President Linwood H. Rose, Jim Russell, Merck & Co., Dr. Diane Foucar-Szocki, College of Education

The Hispanic population in Virginia represents 4.7 percent of its population. In Harrisonburg, Hispanics make up 8.8 percent. What's more, according to the 2000 census, another 3.3 percent of the overall Central Shenandoah Valley population indicated that they were from non-Hispanic countries. Many in that category are either Russian speakers or Iraqi Kurds. These significant populations face great challenges in acquiring access to all sorts of services if they lack basic English language skills. And while public schools work to deliver ESL programs to the school-age members of these populations, adults without English skills confront even bigger challenges.

Jackie Thomas-Suggs, director of the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations in the JMU Division of Advancement said, “Creating solutions to societal issues such as the Valley's increasing need for adult English instruction is exactly what a public university like JMU ought to be doing.” Solutions to societal issues are also exactly the kind of activity good corporate citizens are interested in funding; and Merck has. The corporation's $300,000 gift will establish the Career Development Academy at James Madison University.

Dr. Diane Foucar-Szocki, department head, Department of Learning, Technology and Leadership Education in the JMU College of Education, has a stellar record at working with corporate and foundation sponsors to deliver adult education programs. She was instrumental in founding the Workforce Improvement Network at JMU in 1996, which is funded in part by Verizon, R.R. Donnelley and the Virginia Department of Education. One of WIN's specialties is developing and delivering ESOL in the workplace especially using new technologies. Foucar-Szocki said, “Merck wants to nurture a more educated and more diverse local workforce. And in seeking modes to achieve this, Merck saw JMU and what we've done with the Workforce Improvement Network as the best avenue for bringing together the many agencies involved in this community enterprise.”

The Career Development Academy will bring Harrisonburg and Rockingham County schools and a variety of other local teaching and learning agencies together. The academy will use as its measure the achievement of a more diverse workforce in three local industries. JMU students will work in the academy and gain valuable applied experience as they learn.

MADISON ROLLS OUT THE PURPLE CARPET AT THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR
$1 MILLION GIFT.

It was a very Madison evening at the Kennedy Center — even the décor of the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater is purple! Before the JMU faculty concert, President Linwood H. Rose officially announced that the university and the School of Music had received a $1 million gift directed to the School of Music. Many in the audience gasped with surprise, especially after Rose announced that, thanks to the gift and the number of new Steinway pianos that it will allow the university to purchase, JMU can now display the “All-Steinway School” seal — a distinction held by top-of-the-scale music conservatories such as Juilliard, Oberlin, the Cleveland Institute and Philadelphia's Curtis Institute (for more on the All Steinway distinction, click here). Bruce Stevens, Steinway & Sons president, presented the All-Steinway seal to Rose and Dr. Jeffrey Showell, director of the School of Music.

Bruce Stevens applauds after presenting Dr. Showell and President Rose with the All Steinway School plaque.

Stevens also surprised the audience, and one JMU professor in particular, with another announcement. Dr. Eric Ruple, coordinator of the JMU School of Music's piano area, was named to the very exclusive Steinway Artist Roster. Ruple is now included in a group of pianists that are known worldwide as top performers. Membership on the roster also assures that where ever Ruple now performs publicly, it must be on a Steinway piano.

President Rose commented that the quality of the JMU School of Music had been well known in Virginia and the region for years now. But the $1 million gift that began the relationship with Steinway will now allow the program to assume a place on the national stage. Recognition at this level, he said, will allow JMU to keep and attract the best music professors as well as bring the best music students to JMU. Over time, the generosity behind the $1 million gift will help the JMU School of Music become known as among the very best.

Following the presentations, the evening's musical program "September Sonatas" offered the audience a dramatic and flawlessly executed performance. JMU professor Wanchi Huang and Gabriel Dobner performed a varied program, including the world premier of a new composition by JMU music theory professor Jason Haney. School of Music alumnus Ben Lewis ('78), who had driven from Richmond to attend the concert, described himself as so emotionally drained after the concert that he was unsure he could drive home.

MADISON SUPPORTERS AT THE WATERGATE HOTEL.

Just before the JMU faculty concert at the Kennedy Center and right next door, special guests of the university including alumni and supporters met in the Watergate Hotel. Guests celebrated the $1 million gift to the School of Music and were among the first to see architectural and site plans for the Center for the Performing Arts that is planned to complete construction in 2009.

AN ENERGIZED PARENTS COUNCIL EXPLORES NEW AREAS OF ACTIVITY.

Even Madison carried an umbrella during Family Weekend.

The JMU Parents Council met this past weekend (Oct. 7-9) to discuss possible new directions for the council's activities. The council's biannual meetings in the past have been oriented more toward providing the council with information on programs and new developments at the university (for more information on the Parents Council's mission, purpose and directory, click here). But this meeting was different. The council broke into smaller groups and brainstormed for ideas on enlarging the range of its activities.

“They were so excited by the process of the meetings,” said Sherry King, director of parent relations. “First of all, in the smaller groups they got a chance to really get to know other parents. They loved that. And then, these are very motivated people and they very much want to help JMU. So the opportunity to come up with new ideas was very energizing for everyone.”

The idea to conduct this session was first put forward last April by Jim and Julie Riley (Tara '99 and Paul '05), the former chairs of the council. At this summer's planning meeting in June, current chairs Len and Nancy Weireter (Brian '05 and Erin '06) and vice chairs Dave and Phyllis Pruett (Laura '07) carried the idea forward and planned for this past weekend to take the council in new directions.

The result of this weekend's work is that a committee of 16 parents from the council will now work until the next meeting in April to generate a report on what new activities might be feasible from the list of ideas generated by the session this weekend. The following are among the leading ideas:

• Increase the level of communication from the Parents Council to current parents and external constituents.
• Develop an electronic newsletter for all parents of JMU students.
• Improve outreach to prospective students for recruiting purposes.

LOVE FOR SISTER AND FAMILY COMPELS WILLIAM WRIGHT ('60 and '66) TO FUND
TWO $100,000 SCHOLARSHIPS.

William Wright and Steve Smith

“I love this place — my sister loved Madison, too,” says William Wright sitting comfortably in the Leeolou Alumni Center Great Room. In town to visit friends from his days at Madison, Wright speaks with the pace of a retired man who knows how to tell stories and has the time to tell them.

He tells one story of his sister Eleanor's first job after graduating from Madison. She finished in 1963 with a B.S. in library science and took a job as assistant librarian at York County High School. Wright leans forward and speaks conspiratorially, “Eleanor's first day on the job, the librarian went out for lunch and left my sister in charge. While out, the librarian held up a bank.” He throws his head back and laughs quietly and then continues with a long drawn out, “Anyway...” Then he goes right into details of his sister's career, which included a 36-year stint as librarian at Yorktown High School in Arlington.

During that 36 years, Eleanor did many things including acquiring a master's degree in library science from Florida State University. She also was interested in investments. “My sister was thrifty,” says Wright. The pair purchased 2.7 acres in Nokesville outside of Manassas when it was considered a long distance from Washington, D.C. One day Eleanor said that she wanted to give it to JMU. “By the time she died in 2001 the property in that area had really grown in value. So I sold it and began funding two scholarships for JMU students.”

The Eleanor Wright Memorial Scholarship for a Virginia student in the College of Education and the Wright Family Scholarship for a Virginia student in the College of Business were born. “My goal at the time was to eventually fund both endowed scholarships at $100,000 each.” Just last week Wright reached his goal. With two gifts, one $20,000 and the other $30,000, both scholarships are now at the $100,000 level. “I've also willed my property in Florida and all my possessions to JMU. I told you I love this place.”

When asked how much things have changed since he was a student in the early 60s, Wright doesn't hesitate for a moment. In the same hushed tone in which he described the bank robbing librarian, he says, “They walk on the grass now. Oh my. When we were students we weren't allowed to do that.”

DUKE CLUB SETS FUNDRAISING RECORD.

A record-breaking fundraising year resulted in the James Madison University Duke Club recently presenting the university's athletic division with a check for $677,729. The 2004-05 fiscal year fundraising effort through the Duke Club represented a 45 percent increase from the previous year. The funds include unrestricted contributions that support scholarships for JMU athletes and activities of the university's athletic division. To read more, click here.

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