Harold E. Sponberg served as President of Eastern Michigan for nine years until his retirement in 1974. This audio recording captures Sponberg’s inaugural address from Pease Auditorium. George Romney delivers the invocation, and Chairman of the Board of Regents Edward J. McCormick introduces Sponberg and gives him the symbols of the University.
Zolton Ferency was a lawyer, political activist, and professor at Central Michigan University. Ferency ran unsuccessfully for governor of the State of Michigan in 1966. In this brief speech from the steps of Pease Auditorium in 1966, Ferency introduces his running mate, G. Mennen Williams, and warms the crowd up for primary speaker, Robert Kennedy.
Harold E. Sponberg served as President of Eastern Michigan for nine years until his retirement in 1974. In this audio recording, Sponberg praises all parties involved with the planning and execution of the new University Library, remarking that it was no wonder the library was placed in the exact center of campus; learning should be of equal access to all who wish to take advantage of it.
Harold Sponberg served as Eastern MIchigan University President from 1965-1974. As the opening speaker of the George Marshall Recognition Dinner, Sponberg thanks all those in attendance for being present, before stating that he wished he could have known Marshall for a longer period of time, so that he might do him full justice in his testament to Marshall’s character. Sponberg details Marshall’s career before illuminating several of his teaching, coaching, and personal qualities. Sponberg’s address takes an emotional turn when he speaks of Marshall’s illness, and his hopes for a full recovery
Mildred Beatty Smith served on the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents for 10 years before leaving to serve as Director of Elementary Education in the Flint public schools. In this dedicatory address for the new University Library, Smith remarks that the strength of libraries is not in the buildings themselves, but rather in the ideas that the buildings contain. When students begin to value libraries for this reason, Smith says, that will be the real return on the investment.
Thomas J. Murray served for 33 years at Eastern Michigan University in a variety of roles, most notably as head of the Department of Communication and Theater Arts. In this humorous address from 1967, Murray dedicates the new University Library by reading a fictional agreement to be signed by both faculty members and Librarians. This agreement highlights many of the complaints that faculty and librarians have about each other, and has the room in stitches.
George Marshall served as track coach for Eastern Michigan University for 35 years, from 1928 to 1967. In that time, his teams won 14 Interstate Intercollegiate Conference titles and the NAIA national cross country title. This audio recording from an appreciation dinner in Marshall’s honor captures Marshall responding to the accolades of the evening. Recalling stories from his time as track and field coach, and revisiting many of the lessons learned in his years with the track team, Marshall is humble and humorous in this address.
E. Walfred Erickson, Head Librarian at Eastern Michigan University, gave this address at the University Library dedication ceremony. In the speech, Erickson thanks all parties at length who had a hand in the planning, funding, and construction of the new building, calling Eugene Elliott the “father of this child,” and Representative Joseph Warner, “the rich uncle of this child.”
Eugene Elliott served as Eastern Michigan University from 1949 to 1965. During Elliott’s tenure, the university underwent a period of growth unprecedented in its history. In this address, Elliott stresses the need to keep library development at the top of the list of university priorities. Elliott speaks to the fact that even in troubling socioeconomic times, libraries are of the utmost value, and that this new University Library, located at the center of campus, will act as “the intellectual heart, pumping new ideas through the veins of Eastern Michigan University.”
Timothy Dyer served twelve years on the Board of Regents at Eastern Michigan University, and two years as Mayor of Ypsilanti. In this audio recording, Dyer explains the connection between the Ypsilanti community and Eastern Michigan University, stating that both entities coexist and that each must take the other into consideration. He congratulates EMU, on the behalf of the City of Ypsilanti, on the building of the new library.
Donald Currie serve as dean of students at Eastern Michigan University until joining the staff of the Royal Oak public schools, where he served as superintendent. Still president of the EMU Alumni Association, Currie was asked to speak at the dedication ceremony for the new University Library. Currie speaks at length on the growth of the university libraries throughout the years, and notes that all library growth can be traced back to just three individuals -Elsie Andrews, E. Walfred Erickson, and Genevieve Walton- in the more than 100 years that the school has been in existence. Currie says that more than how many books a library has, the real success of a library is measured in how well it serves the academic community.
Calvin A. Vanderwerf (1917-1988) was President of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and former University of Florida chemistry professor. Invited to speak at the 20th Annual Honors Convocation ceremony at Eastern Michigan University, Vanderwerf speaks of his 25 years in academia, and shares his observations of the changing national attitude toward college education and the development of the American intellect.
President of Eastern Michigan University, 1965-1974, Harold Sponberg welcomes all participants in the archives conference to the EMU campus. Sponberg thanks Egbert Isbell for getting him up to speed on EMU history, and acknowledges that college archives are the best way to inject knowledge into an institution.
Head of Foreign Languages Department Henry J. Owens receives an award from the French Cultural Councillor for services rendered to French culture in the United States. With this award, Owens was made Officier of the Ordre des Palmes Academique.
Egbert Isbell served as professor of history, and administrator at Eastern MichiganUniversity from 1937-1967. Presiding over the lunch portion of the First Annual Conference on College and University Archives, Isbell welcomes all participants, and pays tribute to President Harold Sponberg for not only looking forward to the future of EMU, but also to the institution’s past.
Hubert Humphrey served as 38th United States Vice President to President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965-1969. This address occurred during Humphrey’s extended tour of Africa in 1968, and was given to the faculty and students of the National Teachers Education Center - an institution which employed many Eastern Michigan University faculty as supervisors and consultants. In this address, Humphrey expounds upon the importance of a well-rounded education, stating that the purpose of education was the emancipation from fear and suspicion.
Robert Paul Griffin (November 6, 1923 – April 16, 2015) was a Republican U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. As a junior United States Senator from Michigan in 1969, Griffin here acknowledges that he is the “last obstacle between the graduates and their diplomas,” and remarks upon the distrust of the establishment felt by many college graduates of the late 1960’s. Rebellion, Griffin says, is essential to moving society forward, and he warns the students of the pitfalls of destructive rebellion. Destructive rebellion only leads to more destruction, while constructive rebellion has the potential to change American society in positive ways.
Bruce K. Nelson served as Eastern Michigan University Vice President for Instruction for 21 years, from 1954 to 1975. In this address, Nelson emphasizes the idea that the teachings of higher education change with the underlying cultural currents of society. Nelson stresses that without continuous, institutional change, teachers will become victims of their own success.
Harold Sponberg served as Eastern Michigan University president from 1965 to 1974. In this address at the 1972 Fall Faculty Conference, Sponberg begins with a humorous synopsis of the duties of administrators, deans, and secretaries, before moving on to express his view that good decision making on the part of teachers depends primarily on insight, and the ability to recognize the different ways in which students learn. Sponberg also announces the appointment of a committee to investigate the differences in pay, workload, and hiring between men and women at EMU.
Bruce Nelson joined the faculty of Eastern Michigan University in 1954, gradually working his way to Vice President of Instruction, a position he held until 1975, when he returned to his professorship. Nelson retired from EMU in 1981. In this address, Nelson greets new faculty members with a summary of where EMU has been, and where it hopes to go in the future. Introduced by Dr. Robert Silver, whom Nelson describes as a “gentleman and a scholar,” Nelson explains how the culture of any university is affected by, and representative of, the greater culture surrounding the university. In the greater surrounding culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s, says Nelson, many new and seemingly unfortunate characteristics have become more visible: drug use, violence, racism, and feelings of disillusionment brought on by the ongoing war in Vietnam. These cultural characteristics helped to bring on the late unrest at EMU, and laid the foundations for the recent student demonstrations at the university. However, Nelson argues that these students are only doing what the faculty of the institution have always asked of students: to relate the lessons of the university to the greater world. Instead of holding the university back, Nelson posits that the actions taken by the student demonstrators assisted in the forward movement of EMU.
Robert Solow is an American economist particularly known for his work on the theory of economic growth that culminated in the exogenous growth model named after him. He is currently Emeritus Institute Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he has been a professor since 1949. He was awarded the John Bates Clark Award in 1961, the Nobel Memorial Award in Economic Sciences in 1981, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. In this address to the graduates of the Eastern Michigan Honors College, Solow attempts to answer the question of how to pay forward our debt to the future, and how to ensure a stable and peaceful world for future generations. Following the address, Bruce Nelson presents students with outstanding academic records at EMU.
Helen Wallbank Milliken (December 4, 1922 – November 16, 2012) was an American women's rights activist, environmentalist, and former First Lady of Michigan. Milliken, the longest serving First Lady in Michigan's history, served from 1969 to 1983 during the tenure of her husband, former Michigan Governor William Milliken. Milliken was known for her activism on behalf of many causes throughout her life. She was one of Michigan's leading proponents of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution during the 1970s. In this address to the Friends of the Eastern Michigan University Library, Millien expresses her sense of value for the arts in Michigan, exemplified by the art project she spearheaded - the Art Train. Art Train was a traveling art exhibit of all mediums, intended to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds.
George Goodman was a lifelong Ypsilanti resident, having attended the Roosevelt School before graduating from Eastern Michigan University. Goodman served as mayor of Ypsilanti from 1971 until 1981. Concerned with the “orderly growth of the community,” Goodman here recaps the first 150 years of Ypsilanti, recounting both achievements and problems, before describing the city in terms of infrastructure, historic preservation, and the costs of new city resources such as bridges, fire trucks, and public transit. Dismissing the possibility of any major industrial powers making their homes in Ypsilanti, Goodman stresses Ypsilanti's need for the jobs and prestige that EMU brings to the community. Goodman also lists several ways in which the city and the university could improve their relations.
Soon after graduating from Eastern Michigan University (then Michigan State Normal College) with honors in 1942 and lettering in track, he joined the faculty as associate professor in industrial education at Roosevelt Laboratory School, with time out to instruct with the United States Army Specialized Training Corps. Spending his entire 44 year career at EMU, he was the man known as “Dean Gilden”, dean of admissions and financial aid. He worked in 16 offices on campus and in many capacities, including associate registrar, director of Admissions, dean of Student Activities, dean of Admissions and Student Activities, dean of Admissions and Financial Aids, interim vice-president for Student Affairs, and he was one of the handful of men in the history of the University to serve as president. He served as interim president in 1974 during the University’s critical search for a new top administrator. In this address to new and old faculty at EMU, Gilden covers the gamut of institutional concerns, from declining enrollment to projected budgetary issues and physical structures. Gilden also stresses the need for transparency in administration, and suggests strategies to keep low-income students in school.
Following the resignation of Eastern Michigan University President Harold Sponberg in 1974, the EMU Board of Regents named James Brickley (November 15, 1928 – September 28, 2001) to the office of president. A former FBI Special Agent and future Michigan Supreme Court Justice, Brickley begins by thanking Michigan Governor WIlliam Milliken for attending the day’s activities. Brickley then emphasizes the conundrum that is balancing increasing global interdependence with counteracting increasing “brain drain” amongst American universities. The greatest problem facing EMU and all universities, says Brickley, is how to adequately adjust the needs and demands of constantly changing social and economic patterns. Brickley discusses his plans to alleviate these issues during his tenure as president.
Leonard Posey was elected as the first African American Student Body President of Eastern Michigan University in 1975. During his presidency, Posey caught flack from several minority student groups who charged that he was unfair in allocating the $18,000 in student assessment fees. He drew the fire of administrators who thought he was too critical of the controversial inauguration plans for University President James Brickley. In this address, Posey welcomes newly-elected EMU President James Brickley to his new post, and also sheds light on the late student unrest on campus, and the need for a university president to be adaptable to changing societal norms.
Brickley served as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan from 1971 to 1975 and again from 1979 to 1983 under Governor William Milliken. From 1975 until 1978 he was president of Eastern Michigan University. In this annual address to Eastern Michigan University faculty, Brickley outlines the difficulties facing EMU, naming two major areas of concern: continuing fiscal austerity, and continuing problems in enrollment. Brickley speaks on the causes and effects of the present budget crunch, detailing all programs cut, and the stripping down of several other programs. The ability to “move with the market,” Brickley says, is essential to surviving the fiscal difficulties then facing EMU.
Edward Estlin "E. E." Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), often styled as e e cummings, as he sometimes signed his name, was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. He wrote approximately 2900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays, and several essays. This undated recording captures cummings during his visit to Eastern Michigan University. There is no commentary between poems.
Edward Estlin "E. E." Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), often styled as E. E. Cummings, as he sometimes signed his name, was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. He wrote approximately 2900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays, and several essays. This undated recording captures Cummings during his visit to Eastern Michigan University. There is no commentary between poems.
Anne Sexton (November 9, 1928 – October 4, 1974) was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967 for her book Live or Die. Her poetry details her long battle with depression, suicidal tendencies, and various intimate details from her private life, including her relationships with her husband and children. This recording is comprised of a poetry reading given by Sexton on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. The original magnetic reel for this recording is severely damaged and fragile, resulting in periodic stoppage.
Robert Bly (born December 23, 1926) is an American poet, essayist, activist, and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His most commercially successful book to date was Iron John: A Book About Men (1990), a key text of the mythopoetic men's movement, which spent 62 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. He won the 1968 National Book Award for Poetry for his book The Light Around the Body. Bly visited the campus of Eastern Michigan University in November of 1963 and delivered this poetry reading, in which he explains the construction of his poems, and compares himself to other notable poets of his day. Bly also quotes what he considers to be some of the worst opening lines in literature, and details what he considers to be the restrictions of iambic pentameter.
William Edgar Stafford (January 17, 1914 – August 28, 1993) was an American poet and pacifist, and the father of poet and essayist Kim Stafford. He was appointed the twentieth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1970. In this audio recording from Eastern Michigan University’s visiting authors series, Stafford speaks about his creative process, the mechanics of his poetry, and reads several selections from his vast body of work.
John Anthony Ciardi (June 24, 1916 – March 30, 1986) was an Italian-American poet, translator, and etymologist. While primarily known as a poet, he also translated Dante's Divine Comedy, wrote several volumes of children's poetry, pursued etymology, contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry editor, and directed the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Vermont. In 1959, Ciardi published a book on how to read, write, and teach poetry, How Does a Poem Mean?, which has proven to be among the most-used books of its kind. At the peak of his popularity in the early 1960s, Ciardi also had a network television program on CBS, Accent. In 1964, Eastern Michigan University invited Ciardi to Pease Auditorium for a reading of his poetry. Remarking that poetry is “always a statement about poetry,” Ciardi reads poems about his father, Theodore Roetke, and the poetic capabilities of university students.
Michigan State Normal College Alum John S. Elwell leads the MSNC Choir and present spectators in the singing of “Faiths of Our Fathers,” at the Centennial Celebration of Michigan State Normal College.
During the dedication ceremony for the Frederick Alexander Memorial Organ, Music Director Haydn Morgan played a recording of the Michigan State Normal College Choir, circa. 1940. The playing of the vinyl record was part of a tribute to the abilities and musical and teaching talent of Alexander, who led the MSNC Music Department 1909-1941. The choral selection is approximately fifteen minutes in length, though no title was given.
During a musical interlude in the dedication of Pierce Hall at the Michigan State Normal College, the MSNC plays Richard Wagner’s “King’s Prayer,” from the opera Lohengrin.
The University of Michigan Studio Sampler was a television show spotlighting various local talents, and aired from the University of Michigan campus. The show was written by Don Hall and Bill Rabe, presented by the UoM Department of Speech and PAD T.V. In this clip from the show, Michigan State Normal College senior Bill Woodworth performs the 2nd Movement from “Trombone Concerto” by Rimsky Korsakov.
The University of Michigan Studio Sampler was a television show spotlighting various local talents, and aired from the University of Michigan campus. The show was written by Don Hall and Bill Rabe, presented by the UoM Department of Speech and PAD T.V. In this clip from the show, Michigan State Normal College senior and baritone vocalist Harous Wilson performs “Hills of Home,” by Oscar Fox.
The University of Michigan Studio Sampler was a television show spotlighting various local talents, and aired from the University of Michigan campus. The show was written by Don Hall and Bill Rabe, presented by the UoM Department of Speech and PAD T.V. This clip from Studio Sampler features Michigan State Normal College senior and soprano vocalist Sally Donegal, as she performs One Fine Day from Madame Butterfly.
In his will, longtime Michigan State Normal College music professor left $85,000 to Eastern Michigan University for the purpose of installing a pipe organ in Pease Auditorium. This recording captures the inaugural recital of that organ after its completion. Also in his will, Alexander requested specific musicians and pieces of music to be performed at this recital. All of his wishes were honored, and here several pieces of music are performed by former Alexander student Russell Gee of Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Pieces of music performed include: Basse et Dessus de Trompette by Louis-Nicolas Clerambault; Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne by Detrich Buxtehude; Chorale Preludes by Johannes Brahams; and Ronde Francaise by Leon Boellman.
Erich Goldschmidt was a professor of music at Eastern Michigan University, and consultant ex-officio for the Frederick Alexander Memorial Organ in Pease Auditorium. Goldschmidt also served as organ builder in residence at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In this memorial service for slain president John F Kennedy, Goldschmidt plays a selection of sacred music on the Alexander Memorial Organ.
Erich Goldschmidt was a professor of music at Eastern Michigan University, and consultant ex-officio for the Frederick Alexander Memorial Organ in Pease Auditorium. Goldschmidt also served as organ builder in residence at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Here, Goldschmidt performs "Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now" by J.S. Bach on the Frederick Alexander Memorial Organ in Pease Auditorium.
Clarinetist Armand Abramson, Cellist Edward Szabo, and Pianist Joseph Gurt -all EMU Music Department faculty- perform in this faculty recital at Pease Auditorium. Part 2 of 2, this recording consists of 2 pieces: Faure’s Elegie for Cello and Piano, and Beethoven’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello and PIano, Op. 11.
Having received her Masters at Eastern Michigan University in Voice Performance in 1971, Glenda Kirkland then joined the faculty of EMU in 1973 as professor of Applied Music. Joseph Gurt, having received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Julliard School of Music, served as Professor of Music at Eastern Michigan from 1967 until his retirement in 2000. Included in this recording are two pieces, Giacomo Puccini’s “Senza Mamma,” and Mozart’s “Non Mi Dir,” from his opera, Don Giovanni. These pieces were included in a larger event, the 1974 Fall Faculty Luncheon, the primary focus of which being an address by Ralph Gilden, who was then acting as interim president of the university.
Having received her Masters at Eastern Michigan University in Voice Performance in 1971, Glenda Kirkland then joined the faculty of EMU in 1973 as professor of Applied Music. Joseph Gurt, having received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Julliard School of Music, served as Professor of Music at Eastern Michigan from 1967 until his retirement in 2000. Included in this recording are two pieces, Giacomo Puccini’s “Senza Mamma,” and Mozart’s “Non Mi Dir,” from his opera, Don Giovanni. These pieces were included in a larger event, the 1974 Fall Faculty Luncheon, the primary focus of which being an address by Ralph Gilden, who was then acting as interim president of the university.
Clarinetist Armand Abramson, Cellist Edward Szabo, and Pianist Joseph Gurt -all Eastern Michigan Music Department faculty- perform in this recital at Pease Auditorium. Part 1 of 2, this recording consists of three pieces: Schumann’s Phantasy-Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op.73; Sammartini’s Sonata in G for Cello and Piano; Honegger’s Sonatine pour Clarinette en La et Piano.
Glenda Kirkland was a vocal instructor with the EMU Department of Music and Dance from 1972 until 2009. Kirkland taught many courses in music at EMU and served as the director of the EMU Opera Workshop. She has also given many lectures and recitals with various opera companies and guest performed with luminaries such as William Warfield, Gwyneth Jones, and Luciano Pavarotti. She’s been universally praised for her interpretive skills, her charisma, her prefect breath control and deep respect for the text’s open-hearted naiveté.
Dr. Jeffery Duncan was professor of English Language and Literature at EMU from 1971 until his retirement in 2012. Awarded the Ronald Collins Distinguished Faculty Award in 2002, Duncan was regarded as one of the most beloved faculty members at the University for his rough and tumble Tulsa upbringing and inventive, innovative teaching methods.
Dick Schwarze was campus photographer at Eastern Michigan University from 1970 until 2006. Before joining EMU staff, Schwarze served in the United States Army in Vietnam, and briefly attended Wayne State University in Detroit. During his 36 career year here, he won numerous campus and professional awards, including “Institutional Values Award for Continuous Improvement, Innovation, and Customer Service” in 2005. His photography captures many aspects at EMU and has been used for promotional work and numerous public relations campaigns.
Dr. James Porter began his tenure with the Eastern Michigan University Department of Astronomy and Physics in 1968, a particularly tumultuous time for the University. Witness to many student protests and the local law enforcement response to them, Porter shares his perspective on a changing university and the community surrounding it. Porter received Emeritus status when he retired in 2008.
Courtney McAnuff was Vice President for Enrollment Services at Eastern Michigan University from 1996 until his departure in 2006. Prior to serving as Vice President, McAnuff served EMU in a variety of positions starting in 1980 as Director of Financial Aid. Larry Smith, former Vice President for Student Affairs at EMU said “if Courtney had a fan club, I would be the president.” McAnuff committed himself to many vital undertakings at EMU, both on and off campus, earning McAnuff Emeritus status in 2006.
Kenneth Stevens served with the Communication and Theater Arts Department -currently Communication, Media, and Theater Arts Department- from 1973 until his retirement in 2014. During that time, Stevens created the graduate and undergraduate programs in Arts Management, directed hundreds of plays and musicals, was a ten-time winner of the faculty recognition awards, received the EMU Gold Medallion Award, and the Teaching Innovation Award. Outside of teaching at EMU, Stevens has also served as Associate Director of the Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, producer at the Red Barn Theater in Saugatuck, MI, as well as Director of the Actors Repertory Theater in Las Vegas, and President of the Michigan Theater Association.
regory Peoples is a long-time administrator of EMU. He was hired in 1977 to work in the Campus Interact Office until 1980. During the course of his career with EMU, Peoples served as Assistant Director of Admissions, Associate Director of Admissions, Associate Dean of Students and then Dean of Students. In 2004, Peoples became Director of the Office of the Ombuds, an office he created with University Provost Jim Vick. Outside of EMU, Peoples served with the GMI Engineering and Management Institute, and as Director of Enrollment Services at Washtenaw Community College. Peoples retired in 2003. Glenna Frank Miller is Emerita Vice President for Student Life at EMU. Beginning her career at EMU in 1974 as a Resident Unit Administrator, she became Resident Life Area Manager and then Director of Campus Life in 1983. Miller is known for her high level of involvement on campus, developing relationships with students and creating educational programs for the empowerment of women. Frank Miller also worked in Campus Life, McKenny Union, and in many McKenny Union Campus Life and Diversity programs. Frank Miller may be best-known for her leading role in the design and construction of the EMU Student Center, opened in 2006. Frank Miller retired in June, 2013.
Dr. Joseph Gurt was a professor of music at Eastern Michigan University from 1967 until his retirement in 2000. During his time at EMU, Gurt was renowned as a teacher with students coming from all over the world to study under him and also as a concert pianist performing in the U.S, Israel, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and on stages from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center.
Longtime broadcaster, music critic, and jazz aficionado Michael G. Nastos is best known for his work at WEMU-FM, the NPR affiliate station making its home in King Hall on the WEMU campus. Emeritus Senior Producer, Music Librarian, Assistant Music Director and full-time evening broadcaster at EMU for nearly thirty years, Nastos has written for Downbeat Magazine, Cadence magazine, Coda Jazz Forum, Swing Journal, and a host of other local and national music publications.
Patrick Barry is one of the most ardent supporters and boosters of Eastern Michigan University. Longtime instructor and former president of the EMU Alumni Association, Barry has been present for some of the most pivotal events in University history. Forming close bonds with faculty, students, and administrators, Barry has continued to showcase and support a wide array of University departments and organizations.
Dr. Quirico Samonte served as professor of education at Eastern Michigan University from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. Aside from teaching, Samonte served as University Coordinator for the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education, Chief of Party to the Basic Education Development Project in Yemen, and Advisor to the Ministry of Education for the Primary Curriculum Development Project in Swaziland. Born and raised in the Philippines, Samonte was a boyhood acquaintance of future-President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos.
Linda Yohn is said to have done more for jazz in Southeast Michigan than any other single person in her 30 years with WEMU. Six-time winner of the jazz programmer of the year award, frequent panelist at national conventions, and universally recognized for her commitment to all things jazz here and everywhere else. Yohn was given Emeritus status by Eastern Michigan University when she retired in 2017.
Before joining the EMU School of Social Work in 1996, Betty Brown-Chappell was already an activist for the poor and oppressed. The author of numerous books and articles, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Ebony Magazine, The Detroit Free Press, the Ann Arbor News, and many other media publications. Having served as Associate Director of the McNair Scholars Program at EMU and as Director of the Honors College, Brown-Chappell was the recipient of the College of Health and Human Service Everett L. Marshall Award for Distinguished Service in 2003 and the 2012 recipient of the MLK Humanitarian Award along with Senator Debbie Stabenow. She has met with General Kofi Annan at the United Nations, served as People to People Ambassador in Eastern Europe, and has testified before the Michigan legislature on social work licensing. Brown-Chappell retired from EMU in 2014.
Dr. Bette Warren served as professor with the Eastern Michigan University Department of Mathematics from 1984 until her retirement in 2012. Aside from her teaching duties Warren served as President of the Faculty Council, Chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee, Chair of the Faculty Council’s Budget and Resource Committee, wrote the math section of the Presidential Scholarship Examination, and served on the undergraduate symposium planning committee at the initiation of that event. Warren was also a bargaining council representative from the EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The reason behind Warren's commitment to education is summed up in her own words: "To have a sound academic program we need a well-educated and informed front line. That front line is faculty.”
Dr. Andrew Nazzaro is co-founder and longtime instructor with the Eastern Michigan University Historic Preservation Program. Hired in 1970, Nazzaro and colleague Marshall McLennan worked to develop and design the Historic Preservation Program, receiving funding to initiate courses in 1979. An avid scholar and traveler, Nazzaro also maintained a presence in several African countries, and from 1979 until 1981 served as Chief of Party to Basic Education Development Program in Yemen. Nazzaro received Emeritus status when he retired in 2015.
