’69

Emma Louise “Spread” Dill of Montgomery was included in the June 2007 issue of Montgomery Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Hospitality.” The article noted in particular her innovative work with “fire and ice” centerpieces, “Alabama piñatas,” and her famous bachelorette parties with their surprise guests.

’72

Dr. Wayne Wells, author and Coca-Cola Professor of The Old Testament and The Law at Emory University, presented the college’s inaugural Pastor’s Lecture in Faith, Ethics and Crisis Management. As is well known to all of us at the college, Dr. Wells was instrumental in providing guidance during the unfortunate publicity surrounding three of our students and their involvement with fires at several African-American churches in rural Alabama.

A special note from the B'ham editor.

Regarding those young men, former students at our college, who found themselves in such difficult times after the burning of the rural African-American churches and who were subsequently taken away from us, we have recently heard from them and they tell us that they are so grateful for the support from so many of their friends in the theater department, their "Buds," as they put it. And they also say that they have received "generous and heartfelt" support from the Alabama Bovine Night Hunting Association. Their communication to us went on to say that they have made new friends of “different ethnicities” at their “current campus” and are “very close” with a few of them. “Closer than we ever were with anybody while in college or ever thought we would be,” they tell us. With their faith in Jesus, which was so important to them while here in college, they tell us that they "will overcome" during their lengthy absence from Birmingham’s social scene. They enjoy the daily prayer meetings they tell us, where their favorite hymn is “Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus.” And all of us here at B'ham say, “Amen and Amen.”

’38

Marjorie Brown Jackson is working on a travel journal, combining her many diaries into a volume to be called Margie’s ABC Travels: Air, Boat and Camper. At the age of 89, she and her husband Carlos have given up traveling between the USA and Colombia and are entertaining themselves with many exciting memories, shared with their large family at their annual reunion. Margie tells us that she still enjoys flying single-engine aircraft and "swooping low and dropping things."

’42

The Vanderbilt Study Club recently presented a copy of Bob “Deke” Christon’s Bitsy: Her Life and Battle for the Acceptance of Bass Fishing as an Olympic Sport to the Nashville Public Library, in honor of the club’s former president, the late Bitsy Mueller. The book outlines Bitsy's tireless efforts to promote championship bass fishing and cryogenics.

’45

Rev. Frank “Stick” Corley of Gamegut, Montana, was speaker at the 130th commencement of Sand Mountain College last June and received an honorary doctorate in outdoors studies from the college. Corley’s long career in the Baptist ministry has been particularly concerned with young men and teaching them the skills necessary for overnight camping in “urban proximate” areas. He was pastor of Gamegut’s First Baptist Church for 19 years until his recent and unexpected retirement.

’60, ’61, ’66,, N/A

R. B. “Bobby” Brittain (see photo above) writes that the recent unpleasantness is behind him now and that the misunderstanding regarding the after-hours pharmacy visit has been resolved and that he has given his life to Jesus, who Bobby found while he was on his extended visit out of town. He also writes that he has found a young woman that he married “just as soon as I was able,” a woman he once knew “only through a glass darkly” but now enjoys “face to face.” We were unable to print all of Bobby’s comments for editorial reasons but can say that Bobby wants all his fellow alumni to know that he is still “very, very healthy” even after the time spent out of town. “Praise Jesus!,” says Bobby. And let us all say, “Amen.”

—Britt Leach

5 October 2007

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