HISTORY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
January 5, 1993
Dear Former History Students and a Few Others:
DeLAND LETTER:
It has been Indian summer this autumn on this "sceptered isle" of DeLand. My walks to school in this
lovely old residential section, University Terrace, have been graced by evergreens, hibiscuses, camellias, and
an occasional lingering azalea. At the height of the azalea season, we were virtually on the path of an
azalea trail through DeLand. On my way to school, I frequently meet Virginia "Gjrmy" Giffjn '40 M.A.,
retired from our humanities faculty, walking her small sheep dog. Sadly, this is a task previously performed
by her husband "Prof," our noted voice professor, now in a local nursing home. I also meet Lynn Mortimer
'64, MA. '65, bridge whiz and one of the English Department's brightest products as well as an occasional
adjunct professor for them, who now owns a house on University Avenue just across Amelia Avenue and
ad ;acent to the corner house of English Department Chairman Wayne Dickson '64. Lynn is frequently seen
walking her large black poodle. Another neighborhood resident, Carlene Nylen. wife of former Business
School Dean David Nylen. walks her Brittany spaniel in the same area just below her residence.
Betty and I found the University had survived well in our few weeks' absence on an auto tour of
England. England, too, survived well, as Betty's driving did no more damage than a scraped curb as she
adapted to left lane driving. Stetson opened the year with forty extra students, enough to ease the
budgetary situation somewhat.
Bryan and Annette Gillespie '52, entertained on September 12 at their Stetson Avenue home honoring
Andreas Digeser and his wife, ______ visiting friends from Freiburg, Germany-friends from Bryan's
residence at the Stetson center in Freiburg, the Paedagogische Hochschule. We all admired the Gillespie's
new swimming pool.
The Cultural Arts Center had a fund-raiser at Pondo's restaurant on September 14. Doug and Margaret
Lee were responsible for our table. I enjoyed talking with ______£_; Beasley, attractive blond wife of Vice
President for Campus Life Jim Beasley '67, M.A.'68. Since that time, the Beasleys have moved into their
new home on Wilmhurst Road just off Mercers Fernery Road.
The Baptist Convention in November ratified the Sullivan-Lee agreement whereby Stetson will
disappear as an item in the convention's budget, but individual churches may still designate up to $312,000 a
year of their cooperative funds to Stetson. The agreement replaces an agreement of two years ago whereby
the budgetary relationship was to be phased out in five years. There was much relief from the convention
leadership and from Stetson that they had avoided a bruising battle such as the one that Baylor faced in
Texas.
The Institute of Christian Ethics sponsored, on October 26, former President Jimmy Carter for the
second annual James Stewart Lecture. Dean Stewart, our beloved former chaplain, now an octogenarian,
was on the scene-hale and hearty. The afternoon question and answer session with President Carter drew
a fascinated crowd of students, faculty, and staff. Leonard Nance. Chairman of the Faculty Senate, the first
African-American to occupy that post, was eloquent in his introduction, and the former President was quite
impressive. Students asked penetrating questions. The evening session was, in my view, marred by a bad
sound system that made it difficult for many of us to hear. Those who financed the event were seated in a
special section. Among them, Mrs. J. Ollie Edmunds of the Gualala Foundation, which provided a healthy
chunk of the money for the Carter honorarium, which, I understand, went to the Carter Center.
