MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends:

The month of May could easily be the most special time of the year for the university. We have held three Commencement ceremonies and celebrated more than 900 students who received their graduate, specialist and undergraduate degrees. These ceremonies mark the culmination of years of hard work, and we couldn’t be more proud of our recent graduates. We’re also proud of our women’s tennis team that won the Big South Conference—again--and recently competed in the NCAA tournament. No team in the history of the athletics department has as many conference championships as women’s tennis. Watch for more about this program in the next edition of Winthrop Magazine.

This month we also had the distinct pleasure of hosting another important ceremony on campus. David Bancroft Johnson, Winthrop’s founder and first president, was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame on May 5. The formal ceremony to recognize this well- deserved, and in my opinion, long-overdue honor was held in McBryde Hall.

The Hall of Fame honor had been in the works for two decades as several alumnae tirelessly advocated for Johnson’s inclusion year after year. It was a special night, and a fitting honor for a man who made it his life’s work not only to educate South Carolina women but also advance education across the state through their work. You can read more about the ceremony and Johnson on pages 2-5 of this Winthrop Magazine edition.

While it’s officially summer on campus, please don’t think that our efforts slow down. We’re continuing work on the Winthrop Plan, the university’s strategic vision, and I’m continuing to visit area cities to discuss the plan, and how alumni and friends can be a part of the initiative. Page 24 lists where Winthrop Plan discussions will be held in the summer and fall. I hope to meet as many of you during these visits as I can. Please contact the Office of Alumni Relations for details and reservations.

We had a wonderful spring semester, and I’m looking forward to kicking off Winthrop’s 132nd academic year this August.

As always, thank you for your commitment to this fine institution, and I look forward to our work together on Winthrop’s behalf.

Sincerely, FEATURES

2 ‘HIGH IDEALS AND RIGHT AIMS’: WINTHROP FOUNDER INDUCTED INTO SOUTH CAROLINA HALL OF FAME MAY 5

6 HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES: WIND SYMPHONY PERFORMS AT

CARNEGIE HALL 8 A TICKET TO THE DANCE:

TEAM WINS BIG SOUTH, MAKES NCAA TOURNEY APPEARANCE

10 FORGET WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT LIBRARIES

12 MARK HAMILTON: SHAPING WINTHROP’S VISUAL FUTURE 14 FINDING PASSION IN THE REDIRECTIONS DEPARTMENTS

Dan Mahony President

16 Campus News 18 Development News 19 Alumni News 21 Class Notes 23 Milestones

WINTHROP MAGAZINE Summer 2017

10 12 14 2

6 8 EDITORIAL STAFF

Ellen Wilder-Byrd '88,'94, editor Allen Blackmon ’86, art director

Contributing writers and photographers: Monica Bennett Meredith Carter ’05 Shawn Cetrone Nicole Chisari ’09, ’16 Judy Longshaw

NOTES About the Cover

The David Bancroft Johnson portrait which hangs in the lobby of Tillman Hall

Winthrop Magazine is published for alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends of Winthrop University by University Communications and Marketing.

Winthrop University offers equal opportunity in its employment, admissions and educational activities.

All cities referenced in editorial content are located in South Carolina unless otherwise indicated.

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