December 2023 Alumni eNewsletter
If you aren’t receiving the Alumni eNewsletter in your inbox each month, please update your contact information to ensure your email address is included.
December 12, 2023
FEATURED NEWS
Alumni gather for annual Boar’s Head holiday celebration
Campus sparkled with twinkling lights, and the holiday vibe was strong at the Turner Lynch Campus Center for the Boar’s Head Evening of Holiday Enchantment. Alumni representing classes from 1973 to 2023 spent the evening catching up with friends and toasting the holiday season.
Are you an author?
Have you or a fellow OU graduate you know written a book or article? We want to know! Please reach out to the Philip Weltner Library at [email protected] so we can ensure we have a copy of your work.
Support OU Giving Day – February 14!
Our third annual OU Giving Day will take place this spring. You can be part of the day’s success by volunteering as an OU Giving Day social media ambassador! It’s an easy way to show your Petrel Pride. Click below to learn more, and stay tuned for more ways to get involved!
Holiday gifts for the Petrels in your life
Alumni can receive a special 10% discount at the online Oglethorpe Campus Store from December 12-26! Pick up a last minute OU gift for a fellow Petrel (or yourself!) through the online store. To claim your discount, click “sign in” in the top right corner and select OU Alumni and enter your email address. Use access code “aw23” to begin shopping and receive 10% off.
ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Tim Tassopoulos ’81: Behind the modern Chick-fil-A restaurant; Tim Tassopoulos retires
Joe Fried ’90: Fried’s drive to top truck crash lawyer started with a badge
Eric Krug ’98: ‘Choices matter’: Speakers share experiences of drinking and driving with students, faculty at Dalton State College
Dawn Montgomery ’11: Revolt TV podcaster Dawn Montgomery departs
Ruwa Romman ’15: State Rep. Ruwa Romman on her 2024 legislative priorities and what it means to be the first Muslim woman in the house
OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY NEWS
President McClymond on air with WABE’s ‘Closer Look with Rose Scott’
Hammack Scholars turn scholarship into skills, real-world business experience
OU student selected to attend national first-generation college student forum
OU community celebrates record-breaking GivingTuesday
Want more University News? Read more online or subscribe to The Source.
Class Notes
News and updates submitted by your classmates.
Ken Davis ’64 recently received the 2023 Distinguished Staff Alumni Award from the Philmont Staff Association (PSA). Ken has spent a lifetime in service to the nation and to Scouting – particularly the Order of the Arrow – for which he has been a national committee member for 48 years. Ken also served 18 years on the PSA’s board of directors, and has a distinguished service record including the U.S. Army Signal Corps and Army Reserve; he is a Vietnam War veteran and a retired colonel. His career spans government service, including 30 years at the National Archives, and Scouting. He is the author of the definitive histories of the Order of the Arrow, Wood Badge, and the PSA.
Carly Harringon ’96 and her family are now the owners of the Floor Coverings International location in South Atlanta.
Christina Zaytsev Henry ’10 relocated to Kalamazoo, MI from Atlanta, GA in 2022 and married Justin Henry on June 3, 2023.
Lisanne Edelman Walker ’14 and Campbell Walker ’11 were married on June 3, 2023. Though friends during their time at Oglethorpe, they reconnected through the Oglethorpe Alumni Association’s virtual St. Patrick’s Day event in March of 2021, and the rest is history. View a photo of their celebration on the Class Notes webpage.
View more Class Notes online >
In Memory
Oglethorpe mourns the loss of members of our alumni family and former faculty.
We’ve recently learned of the passing of these alumni:
Stephen J. Axelberg ’72
Dayle Elizabeth Sutton Fowler ’90
Mary Carol Wollenhaupt ’02
A full list of those who have passed away are remembered here.
We want to hear from you! Tell us about a new job, promotion, award, wedding, birth or adoption, or other noteworthy milestone. We want to keep your classmates up to date on your latest news and celebrate your accomplishments!
Upcoming Alumni Events
December 13, Oglethorpe Alumni Virtual Book Club
Hosted by Richard Bakare ’03, the virtual book club will meet on December 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. To join in the discussion, please register through the online Bookclubs Community. Sign up now >
February 9, Save the Date: Alumni Basketball Tailgate
Whether you are a former basketball team member or a Petrel fan (or both), join us for a tailgate in conjunction with the Women’s and Men’s Basketball games. More details to come!
March 1, Save the Date: Beakers and Brews STEM Alumni Reunion
All Science and Mathematics alumni are invited to return to campus on March 1 to reconnect with former faculty members and each other. In addition, you’ll have an opportunity to meet current faculty members and hear the latest updates from campus. More details to come!
April 19-20, Save the Date: Alumni Weekend
Mark your calendars for this signature event and make plans to return to campus for Alumni Weekend! Stay tuned for more information in the new year.
Upcoming Campus and Community Events
January 13, OUMA Open House
Oglethorpe University Museum of Art will host a special community day on January 13, from 1-4 p.m., featuring refreshments from local Hispanic/Latino vendors; tours of the latest dynamic print exhibition “Estampas de la Raza: Contemporary Prints from the Romo Collection” (open through January 31) by trained, bilingual student docents; information about Oglethorpe University’s new Intercultural Center; and more. Learn more >
Stormy Petrels
Our Stormy Petrel sports are in full swing. View their schedules >
See more events happening on the Oglethorpe campus >
Stay Connected
Networking on LinkedIn? Be sure to join the OU Alumni group and follow the Oglethorpe University LinkedIn page.