722 N. Arlington Avenue
DeLand, Florida 32724
July 8, 1991
Dear Aria, Cornelia, Martha, a few Former Students, and Other Friends:
Who is Aria? Aria MacDonald is an octogenarian girl friend with whom I
became acquainted when I taught her daughter years ago. I came to know her
better when she asked that I take over a fund at the duPont-Ball Library in
memory of her husband Norman. Norman, who died some years ago, had served as
an Admissions Counsellor at Stetson in his retirement years following a career
in city government. He had an avuncular approach that scored with parents and
with college bound students. Aria is a native of Canada and the daughter of a
Congregational clergyman. She has a home in DeLand as well as in Bar Harbor.
I hope this letter will fill Aria and a few others in on happenings at Stetson
and about Betty and me. Martha Edmunds is, of course, the widow of President
J. Ollie Edmunds. She lives at Ponte Vedro Beach. Cornelia Ferrell is the
widow of Ralph Ferrell, a Stetson trustee whom Betty came to know through his
benefactions to the DuPont-Ball Library. She lives in Coral Gables.
DeLand has its usual charm. The azaleas blossomed gloriously but
briefly in February and March. Even we, although not outstanding in
landscaping, have produced, in addition to a marvelous lawn, hibiscuses, day
lilies, cannas, and impatiens. A few orange trees that I have wedged between
oaks, as Gilbert Lycan said that I should not, are thriving. Downtown DeLand
has recovered the charm that it had when I arrived in 1953 and, indeed, looks
even better. It is possible to while away a half day at least in window
shopping. I especially enjoyed sneaking through Mark Shuttleworth's '71
Victorian Antiques (mainly architectural antiques) on a recent Saturday
morning.
The Stetson campus continues to improve. Some adaptations have been made
in the interest of security. Work on the Empire bank building on the south
side of the campus proceeds apace, and when school opens in September much of
the School of Business will be housed in what is the Lynn Center of Business
Administration. Some liberal arts offices and classes will be in Davis Hall,
formerly devoted exclusively to business. The availability of the Lynn
Center moves the plans for a new library to the top of Stetson's building
agenda, replacing plans for a new liberal arts building. The library is quite
cramped, so if you know someone with several million to spare who would like
to have his name on all sides of the new building, let us know. The
renovation of Elizabeth Hall Chapel, a project deferred from last summer, is
underway with the pews being replaced.
Reunion week brought together a number of us who taught the class of
'66. John Hague (American Studies), Frank Tubbs (English and education), and
Virginia "Ginny" Giffen (Humanities), were those I saw. Harold "Prof" Giffin
(voice), now in a nursing home, could not be present. One Giffin daughter,
Carol Heebner '66, whose husband, Pete '66, was recently elected chairman of
the Tomoka State Bank of Daytona Beach was present although Pete was not.
Judge Thomas Freeman '66, '69 of St. Petersburg, whose attractive daughter,
Christie, is now a student, was greeting his old Pi K A brothers.
Doug Lee, maintains his ebullience although he only admits to "cautious
optimism." In the spring his convocation announcement of the four and a half
million dollar gift for scholarships from the Hollis Family of Lakeland (Mark
Hollis '56, Vice President of Publix Markets made the presentation) brought
the president to the verge of tears. Facing a year in which student
