Published: September 13, 2007 10:14 pm         

MSU to honor Hall of Fame inductees at awards dinner

Former astronaut will be the keynote speaker

Five of Mountain State University’s “stars” will be honored during a Saturday night fundraiser that will feature a former astronaut as a keynote speaker.

During the MSU Foundation Honors Dinner, the five MSU Alumni Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized, according to Michael Ann Dulcie, director of alumni relations. Nearly 200 tickets had been sold for the dinner by the middle of this week.

The event’s keynote speaker is Capt. Jon McBride, a retired NASA astronaut and former Beckley resident.

“We are ‘launching’ the foundation, and we can also tie that in with our theme, ‘Reach for the Stars,’” Dulcie said. “We thought he was the perfect person. He’s from Beckley, and we thought he would be a good fit.”

The dinner will also honor MSU Tower Society members, those who have included the university in their wills, Dulcie said.

The purpose of the foundation, a private, university-affiliated organization, is to secure and manage private contributions, support academic programs, student scholarships, faculty development, capital improvements and other university interests. Roy Shrewsbury III, president of the foundation’s board of directors, has said the organization functions independently to ensure gifts are used according to donors’ wishes and to make sure the funds are protected for future students’ use.

Dulcie said this year’s dinner will raise funds for an alumni association scholarship.

The dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Tamarack. Tickets cost $35 per person and $60 per couple. Those who want more information are asked to contact Dulcie at 929-1580.

The MSU 2007 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are:

Barbara Collins Ward Gardner

Distinguished Friend Award: Each year, the MSU Alumni Association honors university “friends” who are not alumni, yet donate their time, talents and resources. Gardner, this year’s honoree, has been a licensed insurance agent since 1983 and is the owner of Gardner and Associates in Beckley. She is licensed in five states and has won both state and national insurance agency awards.

Nancy Pat Lewis-Smith

Community Service Award: Lewis-Smith first attended classes at MSU in 1939 where she met her late husband, Charles S. Lewis. Her family owns Lewis Automotive Group and established a scholarship at the Beckley Area Foundation in memory of Charles S. Lewis. This scholarship defrays tuition costs at MSU for qualified employees at Lewis Automotive. In 1990, Lewis-Smith married longtime family friend and former Gov. Hulett C. Smith.

Price H. Calfee Jr.

Career Achievement Award: The Career Achievement Award recognizes MSU alumni who have demonstrated “outstanding achievement and prominence in their chosen careers.” Calfee began working at Calfee Funeral Home in Beckley in 1937, shortly after his high school graduation. That same year, he graduated from Beckley College, and he then graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1938. Calfee is the third-generation family owner of Calfee Funeral Home, which opened in 1900. Calfee served as president of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association in 1970 and was a member of the National Selected Morticians. He is a past president of the Beckley Lions Club, the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce and Black Knight Country Club. He is presently a member of the Beni Kedem Temple of the Shrine.

Robert E. Bolen

Distinguished Service Award: The MSU Alumni Association honors an individual each year whose contributions to the university and efforts on MSU’s behalf are considered worthy of special recognition. Bolen, a 1963 MSU graduate, is a “strong supporter” of MSU athletics and is the father of Bob Bolen, head coach of the men’s basketball team. The elder Bolen has never missed a basketball game, and he offers his support and encouragement to coaches, staff and players.

Ron Stennett

Amanda Marcella Adkins Spirit Award: This award, named after the MSU Alumni Foundation’s founding member, honors MSU alumni who “demonstrate pride in MSU and have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, commitment and service to the MSU Alumni Foundation for the betterment of the university.” Stennett, a 1961 Beckley College graduate, spent 20 years as a nationally certified athletic and sports medicine trainer and retired in May 2000. He then began his work with the alumni association, serving one year as its vice president and two years as president. During that time, he helped the association establish and meet numerous goals, including contacting several alumni from various campuses in an effort to grow the organization.

— E-mail: apridemore@

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