1930s

Philip Brain Jr. (B.S. ’39), died May 5 at the age of 89. He was a survivor of the World War II Bataan Death March and was a prisoner of war for three-and-a-half years. Brain worked for the YMCA for 35 years as Camp Menogyn director and later in various managerial positions with the organization. After his retirement in 1980 he started a consulting firm to help nonprofit groups with fundraising.

George “Butch” Nash (B.S. ’39) died July 18 at the age of 89. He was a University football player in 1937 and 1938 and served as an assistant coach under many coaches including Bernie Bierman and Murray Warmath.

1940s

Margaret Norling (B.S. ’40) died June 1 at the age of 87. Norling was a musician and an elementary and junior high music teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools where she developed the “Rote to Note” and “Norling Numbers” as part of her pedagogy. She played bass in seven Twin Cities civic orchestras and served on the board of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.

Reinhardt Tonn (B.S., ’48, industrial education) died Dec. 26, 2004, in Davenport, Iowa. Tonn was a retired corporate secretary for Herbst Corporation. During World War II, Tonn was a captain in the U.S. Army and received a Bronze Star.

1950s

Richard Alm (Ph.D. ’54), professor emeritus of the University of Hawaii College of Education, died June 5. He was 83. Alm trained thousands of teachers and launched “The Reading Clinic” which diagnosed and helped more than 1,200 children with reading problems. He was the editor of The English Journal for 10 years and was the author and editor of many books.

Evelyn Deno (Ph.D. ’58) died June 4 at the age of 94. Read more in College Community.

Everett Dodge (M.A. ’50), retired Minneapolis Public Schools elementary school principal, died May 21 at the age of 84.

Audrey Belle Van Deren (B.S. ’52) has published a book of poetry, Organic Poetry. Complimentary copies are available by contacting the college’s alumni relations office, 612-626-1601.

1960s

Marilyn West (B.S. ’66) died in April. She was 78. West taught English and speech at South St. Paul High School, coordinated the International Baccalaureate program, and wrote a nationally-recognized writing curriculum. After retiring in 1990 she traveled and wrote her memoir, My West Side Story.

1970s

Kathleen Till Bowman (Ph.D. ’77), president of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, has announced her resignation at the end of the 2005–06 academic year. She has been president since 1994. Prior to that, she was vice provost of international affairs at the University of Oregon.

Mary Jennings (M.A. ’74) stepped down after serving 11 years as superintendent of the Gorton Dunstable Regional School District in Massachusetts. In her semi-retirement she will be an adjunct professor at Cambridge College and do school consulting.

Barbara Hagel Stevens (M.Ed. ’79), one of Pilot Knob Elementary School’s first teachers, retired in June. She taught second grade for more than 35 years at the school, located in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

1980s

Jeffrey Burkart (Ph.D. ’88) was awarded an honorary doctorate from Concordia University, River Forest, Ill., in recognition for his service to the church, society, and the university. He serves as associate dean of the College of Vocation and Ministry and is professor of educational media/communications at Concordia University, St. Paul.

Barbara Knutson (B.S. ’82), an author and illustrator of multicultural children’s books, died May 7 at the age of 45. She received Minnesota Book Awards for Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale and How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots: A Swahili Tale of Friendship. In her work, Knutson drew upon her experiences as a child of missionaries and her worldwide travels.

Frosso Motti-Stefanidi (Ph.D. ’86) has been promoted to full professor and elected director of the Department of Psychology at the University of Athens.

Shirley Ann Rudd (B.S. ’81) received a master’s in Christian education from Union Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, Va.

1990s

Laura Smidzik (M.A. ’94) was appointed executive director of Minneapolis-based Rainbow Families, an organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents and their children.

2000s

Roberta Hunt (Ph.D. ’04) has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, during fall semester 2005. She will be teaching community health nursing to undergraduate and graduate students.

Amber Murray (M.A., ’05, recreation, park, and leisure studies) was awarded the “Future Scholars Award” from the Academy of Leisure Sciences and the Society of Park and Recreation Educators. This award is intended to encourage excellent master’s degree students to pursue a Ph.D.

Robert “Sonny” Peacock (Ed.D. ’02) became president of White Earth Tribal and Community College in Mahnomen, Minn., Jan. 3. He is a former chairman of the Fond du Lac Reservation.

Margaret “Peg” Shroyer (Ed.D. ’00) was appointed dean of the Spoon River College Macomb Campus/Outreach Education program. She joined the college in 2001 as dean of workforce development and continuing education.