Back Row: Mimi Toney, Courtney Barton, Gigi Barton, Mark Barton Front Row: Anita Lister, Myla Barton, Kiel Barton


A TRUE CENTRALIAN:


David A. Lister passes down the love of Central State University to his family


As a teenager, Mark Barton remembers coming to Central State with his grandfather, David A. Lister, and listening to his stories about life on campus when he was a student. Later, Barton and his grandmother Anita Lister, a 1963 graduate, would stand in the Sunken Garden and reminisce about David’s love and commitment to CSU.


“My grandfather’s memories were so crisp, clear, and vivid. He’d attach a


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memory and an experience to most everything,” says Barton. “When he stepped on campus he would say this used to be here and that used to be there. It was fun hearing all of his stories.”


As a teenager from Bermuda, Central State provided David his first trip to America in the late 50’s and a chance to chart his future. “It gave him an opportunity to come here and study,” says Anita, “and he loved it here.”


On campus, the family-like bond was undeniable. “Students invited each other home for the holidays. There was always that camaraderie with the students,” stresses Anita. “No matter where you were from, we were family. That’s what impressed David. He was so far away from home, but he always felt included.”


Those words echoed in David Lister’s life. So when it came time for his children and his grandchildren to choose a college, it’s


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