Barton College looks forward with great anticipation as the campus prepares to welcome alumni to campus in April for the “Celebration of Distinguished Alumni” in partnership with the School of Nursing’s inaugural “Hall of Fame Ceremony.”
The Celebration of Distinguished Alumni will recognize and honor individuals who have achieved personal and professional successes and who have demonstrated exemplary service to both Barton and their community.
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the College’s nursing program, the Barton College School of Nursing Hall of Fame has been established to honor strong leaders who have contributed to the success of the program. Induction into the Barton College School of Nursing Hall of Fame will be reserved for those individuals who have significantly influenced the School of Nursing since its inception.
This newly established spring alumni dinner event will be held on Friday evening, April 29, at 6 p.m. on Center Campus. Those interested in attending this event should register online at https://www.barton.edu/alumni/celebration-of-distinguished-alumni/. The deadline for all registrations is Friday, April 22, at 5 p.m.
As a result of the COVID Pandemic, this celebration was postponed in 2020. Now, the Barton community is ready and excited to honor these alumni with a double-year recognition as the 2020/2021 recipients.
Among the 2020/2021 alumni honorees will be Captain Bentley H. Massey II, M.D. (Class of 2012) Outstanding Recent Graduate Award recipient; Mr. Kenneth K. Moore (Class of 1985) Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; the Reverend Dr. Robert C. Frazier Jr. (Class of 1980) Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; Mrs. Ann U. Dolman, Gary M. Hall Employee Service Award recipient; Mr. Matthew Whitley (Class of 2002) Alumni Achievement Award recipient; and the late Dr. Michael S. Fukuchi, Honorary Alumni Award recipient (awarded posthumously).
The 2022 inaugural inductees into the School of Nursing Fall of Fame include the late Dr. J.P. Tyndall (Class of 1945) and professor emeritus of biology ( to be awarded posthumously) and Dr. Pamela Ballance Edwards (Class of 1978).
About the Alumni honorees —
Ann U. Dolman served Barton College from 1991 until her retirement in 2020. During her tenure, she held a variety of roles in the Willis N. Hackney Library, ultimately serving as the Outreach and Public Service Librarian. She was extremely instrumental in maintaining Hackney Library as a cutting-edge educational resource. She was the backbone for many programming events such as Hackney Library’s annual Open House, the Barton College Friends of Hackney Library, and community educational sessions. She also served on the Curriculum Committee, the Library Committee and the Student Conduct Board. Dolman also was active with the Wilson County Library and St. Therese Catholic School Library.
Dr. Michael S. Fukuchi joined the Barton College faculty in 1981, and he faithfully served the College and its students for almost 40 years as Distinguished Professor of English in the School of Humanities at Barton College until his sudden passing in January 2020. He taught courses in freshman composition, world literature, Asian literature, Chaucer, Middle English literature, Bible as literature, science fiction/fantasy literature and film, and advanced grammar and linguistics, as well as special courses on Arthurian legends, Anglo-Saxon literature, European mythology, and introduction to theater. Dr. Fukuchi had a respected and influential career at Barton College, and he will be long remembered for his inquisitive mind, his persistence to find answers to difficult questions, and his passion for teaching and learning. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Chaminade University, a Master of Arts degree from Fordham University, and a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Through Dr. Fukuchi’s estate, the Takashi and Yoshiko Fukuchi Memorial Scholarship for students in the School of Humanities was established, and his collection of rare and fine Japanese sculpture was gifted to the Barton Art Galleries.
Captain Bentley H. Massey II, M.D. is a General Surgery Resident at Keesler Medical Center in Mississippi. He also serves as a Captain in the United States Air Force. While a member of the baseball team, he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics at Barton College and later earned his M.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He is a member of the Bell Society and the Barton Society.
Matthew W. Whitley is the Senior Vice President of Southern Bank & Trust and Market Executive for Wilson. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Barton College. He has served on the Barton College Alumni Association Board and the Wilson-Barton Partnership Steering Committee. Whitley is also involved in the community through board memberships with the United Way of Wilson, the Baseball Museum, and the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. He is a member of the Bell Society, the Barton Society, and the Bulldog Club.
The Reverend Dr. R. Carl Frazier has served as the Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cary, a 4,000 member congregation, since 2010. Prior to this appointment, Frazier served in numerous lead ministerial roles, in addition to serving as a District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church in North Carolina. He has published several books on guidance, leadership, and devotion. Dr. Frazier earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and in Religion and Philosophy at Barton College, where he also was awarded the distinctive Coggins Cup at Commencement. He completed his Master of Divinity degree at Duke University Divinity School and later earned his doctoral degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Frazier is a past member of the Barton College Alumni Association Board. He is a member of the Bell Society and the Barton Society.
Kenneth K. Moore is the founder and CEO of Hwy 55 restaurants. Established in 1991 as a single location restaurant in Goldsboro, today the Hwy. 55 chain has more than 130 locations in 17 states and three foreign countries. Moore, also a member of the College’s Baseball Team during his collegiate years, completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Psychology at Barton College. He has served on a wide variety of civic and community boards including the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. He is the founder of the Andy’s Charitable Foundation, which has given more than $1.5 million to causes in Hwy 55’s geographic area. Moore is a member of the Bell Society and the Barton Society.
About the School of Nursing Hall of Fame Inductees —
Dr. J.P. Tyndall, Class of 1945, served on the faculty of the College from 1949 to 1990 and was Chair of the Department of Science for many years. Revered by colleagues and students alike, he was named a Professor Emeritus of Biology following his retirement. Dr. Tyndall proved to be a trailblazer for nursing on the college campus. He led a feasibility study in the late 1960s for introducing a nursing major on campus. Following the Board of Trustees’ approval in 1970 to add nursing as the College’s 12th academic major, Dr. Tyndall immersed himself in the North Carolina League of Nursing, helping the College move into the forefront of nursing education statewide. Dr. Tyndall also was a former state president for the North Carolina League of Nursing, and he served on the executive committee of the Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs for Nursing for the National League of Nursing.
Dr. Pamela Ballance Edwards, Class of 1978, is the Assistant Vice President for Education, Practice & Research at the Duke University Health System. In addition, she serves as an Associate Consulting Professor with the Duke University School of Nursing. Dr. Edwards is the Deputy Director of the Duke Area Health Education Center (AHEC), an affiliate of the North Carolina AHEC Centers Program. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the North Carolina Board of Nursing. She is a 2007 Health Research Education Trust Fellow in Cultural Competence and a 2007 Fellow of the Advisory Board Company after completing the two-year Academy Fellowship. Dr. Edwards also serves as a Commissioner for the International Association of Education & Training.
Original source can be found here.
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