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LAMONI, IA (February 22, 2008) – A celebration to mark the close of the Graceland Forever Capital Campaign was held today on Graceland’s Lamoni Campus. Students, faculty and staff, board members, Lamoni residents and Congressman Leonard Boswell and his wife Dody came together to cheer for the school they love and cheer for the campaign donors who have ensured the university’s continued financial security. A warming fire and chocolate fountains with goodies to dip greeted Graceland faithful in the MSC Main Room on another freezing cold day in Lamoni. It was fitting to see Alumni Programs Director Nancy Wallace lead Graceland’s Pep Band in a rendition of our school song “Graceland Forever” in the old room where so many great occasions have been celebrated over the years.
There was a distinctly different feel to this celebration than the more formal event held a week before on our Independence Campus. It was as if the most successful capital campaign in university history brought full circle what’s best about Graceland – the greatness of our past, the excitement about our future. (See the story below for a recap of the celebration on the Independence Campus on February 15.)
President John Sellars began the program by paying tribute to the dozens of volunteers who worked on the campaign during its eight-year run, and he thanked members of our Board of Trustees and the Executive Council for their tireless efforts on behalf of Graceland.
Board Chair Ken McClain introduced students, who he called “our excellent ambassadors,” to share how the campaign had affected their GU experiences. Two students, Blake Grundman and Kalen Thomas, had not spoken in Independence. Blake, one of the first freshmen to enter the Ackerley Computer Science and Technology Scholars Program, thanked benefactors Robert and Leland Ackerley, and the Ackerley family, for adding great dimension to his four years at GU. He said he has been able to use equipment, attend conferences and programming contests, make business contacts and friends, none of which would have been possible without the Ackerley Scholars Program. Kalen, a student athlete, relayed a story of when he returned to campus last fall for football camp and “all I found was mounds of dirt” on the football field. He said that as installation of the new artificial field-turf progressed, “our practices became more intense,” and he recalled his joy at seeing the first strip of green turf go into place. Kalen thanked Johnny and Sharon Huntsman for their “amazing gift” to not only the players and all students, but to the community.
Congressman Boswell introduced faculty members, two who had not spoken in Independence, but first he spoke of how it is when he returns to Lamoni and Graceland. “It always feels good to come home to where ours hearts are,” he said. “Graceland is important to so many lives…yours, mine and all the students who will come. They will come to an institution that will care for them, love them, and lead them to a better life. It takes big donors and small,” he said, “it takes everybody, to make it so.” Boswell and Ken McClain co-chaired the Graceland Forever campaign.
Julia Franklin, assistant art professor and Chair of the Fine Arts Division, spoke of the “Cinderella story” that has unfolded since the opening in 2004 of The Helene Center for the Visual Arts. “And we are living happily ever after,” she said. She thanked the Robino, Shannon and Constance families, and others, who helped make The Helene Center a reality. Julia said art majors have doubled from 42 to 86, and number of graduates increased from five to 25, in four years. Julia also paid tribute to Louise Whittington and Jim and the late Arvene Edwards, for funding the new Steinway piano, and to David and the late Ava Carmichael for providing scholarships for theatre students.
Jim Jones, computer science professor and Director of the Ackerley Scholars Program, spoke of how “incredibly life changing” gifts from the Ackerley family have been. “We are able to consistently upgrade our equipment,” he said, “which has resulted in one of the best computer science labs around.” Jim told how the “top notch” students in the Ackerley Scholars Program have become leaders and “brought energy to all our students,” including those in the other sciences and mathematics. “Now, any student with an idea can ask for help with equipment needs, for example, and we can really help.” Jim also thanked Mark Wildermuth, an alumnus who “helped us get through the lean times” in years past, “not with million-dollar gifts, but with many thousand-dollar gifts.” Wildermuth now funds an Asian-student scholarship program.
VP for Institutional Advancement Kelly Everett invited 2007 graduate Jesse Bolinger and his fiancé Alex (and guide dog Kirby) to the podium and Jesse explained that Graceland had not only given him a great education, but also taught him about the importance of giving back. Jesse recently became the youngest member of the Graceland Heritage Club, those who have named GU in their will, trust or retirement funds. Jesse and Alex gifted GU an additional $500 during the MSC celebration.
Kelly thanked Orman and Colleen Brooner, who were in attendance, for their devotion to Graceland and their many gifts over the years. It was Orman and his St. Joseph-based construction company who built the new home (in the MSC, just adjacent from the Main Room) for the Sandage Center for the Study of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, the offices for our SIFE team. And, Kelly also thanked “the Smith and Jones families…those are really their names” for their gifts toward renovation of the Platz-Mortimore Science Building. He was speaking of Jim and Pat Jones and Ron (a professor of mathematics) and Di Smith.
Ken McClain is a gifted speaker and he shared stories of his years at Graceland, noting that he studied the social sciences and not the sciences. He only took one class in Platz-Mortimore and thought some might wonder why he and his wife Cindy presented such a generous gift to upgrading science and math facilities. “I can only hope that more opportunities will present themselves so we can do something for social sciences, too,” he said. Ken was the first student ordained into the Community of Christ at the then-new Cheville Chapel in his senior year, 1979. He said he graduated from Graceland “well prepared,” and “full of memories that have shaped my life.”
Former VPs for Institutional Advancement Sherri Kirkpatrick and Dennis Piepergerdes were on hand to join Ken, Kelly and President Sellars in the ceremonial passing of the $60 million Graceland Forever campaign check.
Former Graceland President Bill Higdon provided “not a benediction, but a celebration” to close out the program. Speaking of Gustave Platz and Roy Mortimore, former professors and namesakes of our science and math building, Higdon said, “Gus and Roy would be so proud of what is happening today to our science and math division.” In prayer, Higdon said of donors who made the capital campaign possible, “Feel thy blessing that they have placed their resources to the highest good possible.”
INDEPENDENCE, MO (February 15, 2008) - A celebration to mark the closing of the historic Graceland Forever Capital Campaign drew nearly 150 Gracelanders to our Independence Campus tonight. It was an evening filled with heartfelt testimonials from our wonderful donors, loyal alumni and friends, whose generosity fueled the nearly $61 million raised during the seven years of the two-phase campaign.
A lot is said about legends these days, in many contexts, but the Carmichael Auditorium rang true Friday with the words of true Graceland legends. Stories and testimonials were also shared during a festive reception following the formal presentations. Dan and Alice Waite, Byron Constance, Vicki Ross, Louise Morden, Ken and Cindy McClain and others shared their very personal stories about why Graceland University means so much to them that they chose to share their resources during the GF campaign. A recurrent theme weaved a common thread through many of the stories. A lifelong, careful stewardship of financial resources leaves those blessed with the resources the opportunity to share with the institutions they believe will best put their gifts to work. Clearly, Graceland is such an institution in the eyes of our donors.
Cindy McClain, who did not attend Graceland, said she felt like “…just a number at the big university I attended,” but in getting to know Graceland, what it has provided her children and what she has seen during her many trips to campus, she knows hers and husband Ken’s gift was “a wonderful investment in the future.”
Ken said he was pleased with what Graceland had done for his children, “but, most importantly, I’m grateful for what it did for me.” He reminisced about how then-registrar Jim Closson took him aside as a student and became “…the first person to take interest in my leadership potential. He set me on a path.” Jim and Ellie Closson were on hand at the event. He also remembered asking then-professor Paul Edwards what he thought was the future of the RLDS church. “You are,” he remembers Paul replying. Ken thanked the true architect of the GF campaign, Sherri Kirkpatrick (in attendance with her husband Jac), for asking him to co-chair the campaign. He thanked Byron Constance, “the best lawyer in Independence,” for being his role model and for steadfastly serving the Graceland he loves. He thanked Norm Swails, instrumental during Phase I of the campaign, for “teaching me to dream big,” and added a big thanks to Steve Anders, “who I was joined at the hip with” during Steve’s acting presidency last year. He added a tribute to David Carmichael (who could not attend) for taking Ken under his wing and helping guide his efforts on the GU Board of Trustees.
“I just wish I had more to give,” Ken said in conclusion.
The delightful Louise Morden recalled how her late husband Paul “always wanted a seminary” for the church. She said he would talk about it “…as long as someone would listen.” With tears of emotion appearing, Louise thanked Sherri Kirkpatrick for helping guide her to the decision of creating an endowed faculty chair for the seminary in Paul’s name. Another great family from Florida, who could not attend and have chosen to remain in the background of the campaign’s success, were responsible with funding an endowment ensuring the financial future for Seminary Dean Don Compier (who was meeting with pastors in England and could not attend.)
Vicki Ross spoke of the “thrilling and totally unexpected” surprise she received last year when Steve Anders (at a trustee’s meeting) read a letter from her children announcing their significant gift to Graceland to honor their parents. “Graceland inspires that kind of giving in all of us,” she said. Vicki noted that she and her late husband Don always enjoyed getting letters from GU students who were recipients of the Ross’s endowed scholarship fund. She added, speaking of the students, “Graceland impacts the soul. It makes you realize you are special, that you can do what you set your mind to do. Time at Graceland awakens a special spirit within you.” Vicki’s special spirit was present while she spoke.
Graceland has great friends in Dan and Alice Waite. Alice captured the evening’s emerging theme perfectly when she said of the donations they have made to GU, “We have let God’s gifts flow through our hands.” As with so many Graceland couples, Dan and Alice met at GU and Dan noted that the 60-year relationship has been a great blessing to them. He said their dedication to the university continues to grow and it is “…a thrill to keep up with what is going on at Graceland.” Dan reminisced about leaving the service after WW II, wondering what he would do, and suddenly knowing he wanted to go to Graceland College. He didn’t even know where it was, but he caught a train and he made it here. We are glad he did.
VP for Institutional Advancement Kelly Everett spoke about the nuts and bolts of the campaign…how many gifts, the size of gifts and how large numbers of relatively small gifts created significant total donation amounts. He spoke of the hundreds of visits he and his development officers have made to donors’ homes and how unique and special each visit was. “There are thousands of others who participated in this campaign,” he said. “I just wish they could all be here tonight.” Kelly and President Sellars paid tribute to all the absent donors and noted that they were there in spirit. Another celebration of the campaign close will be held on the Lamoni campus on Friday, February 22, at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center Main Room. President Sellars cordially invites all those who can safely (given our inclement weather of late) be in the Lamoni area to attend the event.
Three lovely, black armchairs, noting the three endowed chairs established during the campaign, sat proudly near the podium in Carmichael Auditorium. At one point, President Sellars, McClain, Kirkpatrick and Everett posed with a giant check for $61 million. President Sellars was his warm and humorous self as he transitioned the evening’s program from one area of interest to another.
Current students Manasseh Chibwe and Ryan Birks spoke proudly of their experiences at Graceland. Manasseh, who hails from Zambia, spoke of how scholarships help bring international students to GU, and how they help create and foster a diverse culture on campus. “Graceland Forever has reached out and touched the lives of so many,” she said. Ryan noted how new equipment in science labs, and other improvements, have given “all students an equal opportunity for hands-on work that really matters.” He gave the gathered group a fun science lesson about equipment upgrades, and how the equipment works.
Steve Jones, Presiding Bishop with the Community of Christ, also spoke, noting the close relationship between Graceland and the church. He said, “Our missions are very much aligned. Our mission depends on your mission.”
Stu Waite did his usual outstanding job at the podium, so eloquently exploring the reasons why we give and what these gifts mean to the recipients, in this case Graceland students. “We give the gift of life, we give back. In our family, we share so our children learn by example.” Stu then introduced faculty who spoke briefly about how the campaign has impacted their programs and students. Scott Murphy stepped in for Don Compier and read Don’s letter of thank you for all the campaign has brought to the present and future of the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland. Claudia Horton, new Dean of the School of Nursing, pointed out the standout success nursing graduates have achieved with NCLEX pass rates, 100 percent for the last two years. She noted that though the “…beautiful Independence campus may be small, we have a large and very special group of students.” Science and Math Division Chair Dan Pratt gave his own science lesson to those gathered, describing the myriad new lab equipment the campaign has made possible, and he noted the wonderful gifts Robert and Leland Ackerley have made to the Ackerley Scholars program. The Ackerley brothers, from Houston, TX, could not attend. Athletic Director Dan Hanton thanked donors Johnny and Sharon Huntsman for their gift of a new artificial field-turf football field (the Huntsmans, from Monroe, LA, could not attend.) Dan also spoke of Tracy Bridge, and others, for their leadership with the Yellowjacket Club and their stellar gifts to athletics. Dan mentioned many other families who have given generously to athletics, like the Rasmussen family, from California, who created “the Razz,” our beautiful soccer complex.
President Sellars thanked all donors, large and small, for bringing Graceland to where it is today. He said, to conclude the program, “Graceland is a fine university. Because of your generosity we will continue to have academic excellence and continue to minister to young people from around the world.”
The Graceland Pep Band, under the direction of Mike Compton, had provided snappy music leading up to the program and now they led those gathered in a rousing rendition of our school song, “Graceland Forever.” This ensemble was an entertaining reminder of what Graceland has to offer students and you could tell those gathered for the event really enjoyed the music.
Cal French was called upon to give the benediction and he told a story about a poor, blind woman who heard that bricks were needed to build the new “Graceland building.” It was the early 1890s and the Higdon Administration Building was under construction. “This lady took in washings at 10 cents a wash and with that money she was able to provide six bricks. When I walk by the building, I often wonder where her bricks are, and whether they should look like gold because they were so precious through sacrifice.” The parallel to the night’s program was not lost on those gathered.
A reception followed in the campus atrium where Gracelanders had a chance to catch up on what had been happening with their classmates and friends. If you can make it, plan to attend the Graceland Forever celebration on the Lamoni campus Friday the 22nd.
