The Berea College Alumni Association enjoys hearing from Bereans from all over the U.S. and the world. The “Class Notes” section of Berea College Magazine (BCM) reports verifiable news that has been sent by alumni. BCM reports the news you wish to share. “Class Notes” reports careers, weddings, retirements, births, and other items of importance to our alumni. Please include your class year and name used while attending Berea. Notes may be edited for style and length. While we will make every effort to put your information into the next issue, due to printing schedules, some delays are typical.
We appreciate your understanding. Submit class notes and photographs via e-mail: alumninews@berea.edu.
1949
Dr. Franklin Parker and Betty June Parker, ’50, spoke on “Adolf Hilter (1889-1945): Today Germany, Tomorrow the World,” on June 16, 2014, to a book review group near their home. Their address is P.O. Box 406, Pleasant Hill, TN 38578, and their email is bfparker@frontiernet.net. A transcript is available at: http://bandfparker.blogspot.com/.
1955
Dr. Thomas S. Kress was inducted into Dobyns-Bennett High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame (scientific category) in Kingsport, Tennessee. He had a long-time career with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is internationally known as a nuclear safety expert, having served 16 years on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. Thomas also was a member of several international nuclear safety committees, including the IAEA’s evaluation of the 1986 Chernobyl accident. Visit kingsport.dbhs.schoolfusion.us, search “alumni hall of fame” and click on his picture in the Class of 2014 Inductees to read his bio.
1958
Dr. Kelly Moss still works two days a week and one day with Hospice. He is married to Betty Simpkins Moss, ’57.
1959
Beth (Mary Elizabeth) Powell, Fd ’55, wrote a story of amusing memories, told from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old boy, and filled with Appalachian expressions. An audio recording of her reading the story can be found at epowellbooks.com. She was invited to share her recording as a guest story teller on a podcast about Appalachian heritage at www.storiesofmountainfolk.com. After airing on the radio, the story will be archived at the Hunter Library of Western Carolina University.
1962
Freddie Henderson Cochran is a retired computer programmer and system analyst and she is “totally loving retirement!”
1965
Dr. Brad Crain became president emeritus of Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina in October 2014. Brad and his wife, Alice, were honored for their service on Founder’s Day at Lees-McRae. Brad was president between 1985-1993, during which time the college expanded its mission to include baccalaureate degrees.
Sylvia Phelps Jones retired after 35 years of teaching and administration at Truett-McConnell College, Louisburg College, and Wake Forest High School.
1966
Kenneth W. Crase and Mary Sue Keith Crase, ’67, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2014.
1968
Diann Duvall, a retired educator, is living in Winchester, Virginia and enjoying the time to volunteer.
1971
A video exclusively depicting the Class of 1971’s years at Berea will be shown and presented to those classmates in attendance at Summer Reunion 2016.
1972
Birth: a son, Sydney Cameron Brunson, to Nicole Brunson and Allen Coates, and grandson, to Pansy Waycaster, on June 6, 2014.
1973
Virginia Hubbard Underwood was elected chair of the board of the New Opportunity School for Women Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit, umbrella organization for the New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) programs. NOSW was founded more than 28 years ago by Jane Stephenson, former first lady of Berea College. The NOSW Foundation serves Appalachian women from rural counties who are determined to rebuild their lives and break the cycle of poverty, currently through four program locations in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Through education, personal guidance, and career development at NOSW, women find the courage to overcome obstacles that arise from limited education, poverty, domestic violence, and other difficult circumstances. NOSW has served nearly 800 Appalachian women. For details, visit www.noswfoundation.org.
1977
Ken Bradshaw retired July 2015 after serving 34 years as a librarian at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah. After graduating from Berea College in 1977, Ken earned a master’s degree in English and library science at the University of Kentucky. He lost his first wife, Donna Pratt Bradshaw, ’77, in 1998, and married Robin in 2007. They have four children and six grandchildren between them. Their address is 500 Oakland Circle, Paducah, KY 42003, and can be reached at bradken@gmail.com.
Trish Estepp and Dr. Mark Estepp, president of Southwest Virginia Community College, presented Second Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, with a “harmony basket,” hand tooled by Dr. Estepp himself. 
A harmony basket was traditionally given to someone filled with food or household items. Over the years it has come to represent any handmade and typically woven basket. The Estepps presented the gift to Biden in honor of her support of community colleges. Biden, a community college educator, was a featured speaker at the annual New Horizons conference in Roanoke, Virginia. The conference attracts more than 1,000 Virginia college faculty, staff, and administrative leaders.
Bob Owen was named a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious journalism competition in the nation, in the category of feature photography. Bob, along with two other San Antonio Express-News photographers, were honored for what the judges said were “chilling photographs that document the hard road Central American migrants must follow to seek refuge in the United States.”
1979
Dr. Tony Hackney was named the 2015 Henry J. Montoye Research Scholar by the American College of Sports Medicine. He and his wife, Grace Griffith, live in Efland, North Carolina.
1982
Cynthia Roark Daniel’s new address is 306 Buffalo Road, Oneida, TN 37841.
1983
Rebecca Ann Asente is now living in New Orleans.
1986
Kelly S. Boyer was hired by Citibank, N.A. to create a national multifamily FHA lending platform. Citibank is the largest affordable housing lender in the country.
1988
David Matthew Collins now volunteers for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
2002
Birth: a daughter, Avigayil Lyn Janes, to Kelly Alder and Sam Janes, on April 16, 2014. They reside, along with their son, Parker, in Lexington, Kentucky.
2003
Birth: a son, Caleb Miles Mendez, to Jason Mendez and Jodi Sumner Mendez, ’05, in June 2014. They reside, along with their daughter, Emma Claire, in London, Kentucky.
2006
Birth: a daughter, Camilla Rose Dalessio, to Kristin Baker Dalessio and Michael Dalessio, ’05.
