Five decades and still a Duke: Nancy Terry Moyers (’76)
Committee Member of Bluestone Reunion 2026, alumna Nancy Moyers, shares how her ties to JMU deepened with time
News
Nancy Terry Moyers didn’t just attend JMU. She never really left.
A member of the Class of 1976 and one of the driving forces behind her class’ 50th reunion planning committee, 2026 Bluestone Reunion, Moyers graduated from what was then Madison College with a dual major in special and elementary education.
She taught middle school for more than 40 years. And for 23 of those, she lived right here in Harrisonburg. “JMU has always been part of my life,” she said. Her daughters swam in Keezell Pool and took gymnastics classes on campus. When her daughter enrolled at JMU in the late 1990s, Moyers reconnected with the university. Now, a great-niece is a current JMU student. She encouraged her middle school students to come to JMU, once driving a student to campus herself. “I was like, we’re going. Come on.”
She remembers President Carrier with the kind of warmth that’s hard to replicate. “He was everywhere. He was a big part of just everything,” she said. “Even after I graduated and was teaching [in Harrisonburg], he would come to classrooms, he would come to assemblies. He was not only active on campus, but active in the community.”
At her class reunion this year, Moyers lit the memory candle during Saturday night’s induction ceremony, honoring classmates who didn’t make it to the 50-year milestone. It was a role that suited her: someone who holds the thread of the past while staying fully present.
Additionally, she helped raise $76,308 for the reunion class gift. “The Class of ’76 had a lot of teachers, so … whenever we could give something, we would,” she said.
Her advice for the Dukes who come after her?
“Play hard and study hard. Get involved. Find your niche. Be involved in the campus, find your club, find whatever makes you happy. Nine times out of ten, you’re going to come here with an idea for a major, and it may change. And that’s okay too. Explore what your heart tells you to do.”
She still hasn’t stopped exploring her own.
Read more about the 2026 Bluestone Reunion celebration.
