Commencement ceremonies were highlighted by an address to the Class of 2006 by Kathleen “Kay” Goodwin, the current Secretary of Education and the Arts in West Virginia. She lauded Wesleyan and its students for their community service efforts, labeling Wesleyan as the state’s premiere community service leader in higher education. Her message, entitled “Every, Every Minute” challenged graduates to continue to learn and to make a difference. She remarked, “Don’t go through life with catcher’s mitts on both hands. Find what you believe in and stand up for those convictions.”

Three distinguished individuals received the Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the ceremony. Receiving the honorary degrees were speaker Goodwin, and Marvin ’51 and his wife Carmen “Elaine” Karnes Culpepper ’54. The Culpeppers have been life-long benefactors to the College, endowing several scholarships and donating thousands of books to the Annie Pfeiffer Library.

Dr. Eric Waggoner, assistant professor of English, was honored with the coveted “Teacher of the Year” award by the graduating seniors. The annual award is based on a vote conducted by the graduating class, in which each student selects his or her favorite professor during their college career.

The previous night, Baccalaureate was held in Wesley Chapel with featured speaker Rev. Margaret Mason Mallory, district superintendent of the Toledo District in the West Ohio Conference.

With graduation behind them, Wesleyan students will now step into a world full of possibilities with unlimited potential. Several will enter the work force, with many recent graduates already finding jobs in their teaching, nursing, and health care fields. Many more will elect to continue their education at graduate schools in state and across the country such as West Virginia University, Marshall University, and Vanderbilt University.

Wesleyan Names Outstanding Seniors

Joseph Book, Lance Lindauer, Bradley Mills, Jessica Olcott, Kathryn Simmons, and Josh Thompson were named “Outstanding Seniors” at the annual awards assembly on April 9. 

Book, a secondary education major from Clarksburg, WV, graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor of art degree in secondary education.  A Bonner Scholar, Book was involved in a number of community service projects and created his own program (D.R.E.A.M.), an initiative that teaches elementary and middle school students to be tolerant of others.  The program fulfills many of the various schools’ character education requirements.  Book also created a board game called “The Captives”, which is being considered by the State of Pennsylvania as a hands-on French and Indian War teaching tool.

Lindauer graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in international business and economics.  The Parkersburg, WV, native served as the president of Theta Xi fraternity, vice-president of Inter-Fraternity Council, vice-president of Community Council, and a freshman seminar leader for two years.  He also was an active volunteer in the Office of Admission and served as a community assistant in the Housing and Residence Life Office for two years.

The Elk River, MN, native Bradley Mills, graduated magna cum laude from Wesleyan.  A secondary education major, he was an outstanding soccer player for the Bobcats.  He was selected as Wesleyan’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Olcott was selected “Greek Woman of the Year.”  The Parkersburg, WV, native held a number of leadership positions in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Panhellenic Council.  A legacy, she graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in international studies and political science.  She was extremely involved in community service during her studies at Wesleyan.  She also studied in London through the Duke University/Oxford University Study Abroad Program.

Simmons from Baltimore, MD., and another Wesleyan legacy, graduated summa cum laude from Wesleyan, earning a bachelor of science degree in both mathematics and music.  She was active in a number of music ensembles and her math thesis was selected as the best by the department’s faculty. 

Thompson from New Haven, WV, earned both a bachelor of science and a masters of business administration degree in four years from Wesleyan.  The magna cum laude graduate served as president of Community Council, president of Interfraternity Council, and was an active participant in the College’s award-winning Student in Free Enterprise organization.  Thompson was also a member of the Concert Chorale and was an active volunteer for the Office of Admission.

Emeritus Club Inducts 1956 Graduates

The Emeritus Club, members of 50-years or more, inducted the Class of 1956
during Commencement weekend. Pictured below are the newly-inducted members.
Pictures of Emeritus Club at Commencement Weekend

Seated:  Elizabeth Lindsay Swarthout, Winnifred Heavner Schanck, Bernice King McHenry, Margaret Dean Miller, Dorothy Walls Gaston
Standing:  G. Herold Berthy Jr., Charles E. Goodin, Gregory D. Lessig, Robert E. Call,
Paul Vaughan Jr., Thomas R. Merrill, Patton L. Nickell Jr., James E. Gaston

Pictures of Commencement Weekend

• Graduation 2006

• Education Reception

• Nursing Convocation