CONWAY, Ark. (October 27, 2011) - One hundred and thirty five years after Rev. Isham Burrow welcomed 20 students to its first fall term, Hendrix College honored its heritage at Founders Day 2011 and awarded Odyssey Medals to seven exemplary alumni.
"Our founders were dedicated to continual improvement and innovation, and that's what we shared with them," said Hendrix College President Dr. J. Timothy Cloyd, who introduced the alumni winners of the 2011 Odyssey Medals.
The 2011 Odyssey Medal Winners are:
- Wendy R. Anderson'93 for Global Awareness
- William Ragsdale '83 for Artistic Creativity
- Tommy Sanders '76 for Special Projects
- Benjamin Schumacher '82 for Research
- William C. Temple '73 for Professional and Leadership Development
- Dr. Joe Thompson '84 for Service to the World
Bill Fox '60, who received the 2009 Odyssey Medal for Professional and Leadership Development and was unable to attend the awards ceremony, was presented his Odyssey Medal.
"Their example demonstrates the impact of a well-lived life on the world," Cloyd said.
In accepting the honors, each medalist offered gratitude and wisdom to their alma mater, their faculty mentors, friends, and family.
Actor William Ragsdale told the audience how he followed his two older sisters to Hendrix but quickly found his own path.
"I don't know if I would have found that if I didn't come to Hendrix," said Ragsdale, who has worked with everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Stephen Sondheim in film, television, and theatre.
Wendy Anderson, the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense at the U.S. Department of Defense, thanked Hendrix for giving a once shy Southern woman the courage to travel to many countries to learn and serve.
"It was here that my life path was formed," said Anderson.
Former FBI special agent Bill Temple told students that Hendrix instilled in him the value of critical thinking and attention to detail.
Kenyon College physics professor Dr. Ben Schumacher, a pioneer of quantum information theory, said Hendrix "taught me to do research."
"You should rejoice that there's something that you don't yet understand," he said of the passion and curiosity required for scientific research. "You shouldn't be alarmed at not understanding something, you ought to be familiar with this experience … [but] you should never give up."
Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson, a champion of public health in the state, said that institutions are challenged today by fast-paced technological change and frail economics. He challenged students and faculty to "make sure the future is the one we want."
ESPN outdoor sports producer Tommy Sanders admitted that he had never seen a play performed before he was a student at Hendrix.
"Hang on to what you're given here, take it with you and it will sustain you," said Sanders. "You never know where your Odyssey is going to take you."
Emory University administrator Dr. Bill Fox thanked Hendrix for instilling in him the importance of higher education.
"I found a passion for what higher education can do for an individual," he said. "I knew I wanted to be in higher education and help people as I had been helped at Hendrix … it started at Hendrix and it led to a very meaningful life."
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.