Changes streamline annual event

By Eric Rangus erangus@emory.edu

A record 2,800 Emory graduates registered for Sept. 20–23’s Alumni Weekend, according to Bob Pennington, vice president for alumni affairs and special development projects, who called this year’s event “an absolutely resounding success.”

The weekend’s festivities were retooled this year, Pennington said, with the idea of centralizing more activities and using the Miller-Ward Alumni House as a Homecom-ing epicenter. Evidence of the weekend’s success lies in the fact that, despite the nation’s recent tragedy, the Association for Emory Alumni received just 27 cancellations, he said.

“We have traditionally had an Alumni Weekend that was scattered about the campus with all the school-specific events, and the only all-alumni events, really, were the Emory Medal ceremony and alumni luncheon on the Quadrangle,” said Pennington, who oversaw his first Homecoming since being appointed to his position last December.

“So we decided to centralize Alumni Weekend at the Miller-Ward House and grounds and the Houston Mill House, all the while having the various and traditional school-specific events and functions, and it just worked beautifully,” he said.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, the Emory Medal ceremony was held in Governor’s Hall at the Miller-Ward House, another difference from past years, in which the event was held in Glenn Auditorium. Also, AEA decided to go without a keynote speaker at the ceremony and instead showed a video highlighting the Emory Medalists.

This year’s recipients of the University’s highest honor for alumni were:

Ellen Bailey ’63C, ‘87EMBA. Bailey is chief operating officers for Cardiology of Georgia, a 27-physician private practice and one of the 20 largest practices in Georgia.

Sara Barger ’73MN. Berger is dean and professor at the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing and has authored or coauthored more than 30 articles and book chapters and given more than 40 academic presentations.

Max Cleland ’68G. Cleland is the senior Democratic senator from Georgia in the U.S. Senate. Under President Jimmy Carter, Cleland was director of the Veterans Administration, and he is former Georgia secretary of state.

Bradley Currey Jr. Currey recently stepped down after six years as chair of the University Board of Trustees. A former president and chief operating officer for Rock-Tenn Co., Currey still serves on the company’s board. Emory presented him with an honorary degree in May.

Joseph Gladden Jr. ’64C. Gladden recently retired as vice president and general counsel for the Coca-Cola Company.

Shain Schley ’62C,’66M. Schely is a faculty member and chair of the otorhinolaryngology at Cornell University Medical College and otorhinolaryngologist-in-chief at New York Hospital.

Leah Sears ’80L. Sears is a justice on the Supreme Court of Georgia. She was an attorney at Alston and Bird and a judge on the City Court of Atlanta before being elected to the superior court bench.

Pennington said he expects AEA to stick to this year’s format for Alumni Weekend 2002. “We really nailed this first time,” he said. “We always want more of our alums to be here, and we would like to see more participation in the school-specific events.”