Edward G. Simpson, Jr. serves as director of the Georgia Center and as associate vice president for services at The University of Georgia. He is also president of the National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA) for 1995-1996.
Sometimes, I have difficulty remembering, let alone believing, that I am an educator. Grant me, for the moment, benefit of the doubt that my efforts are contributing to the common good in some limited fashion when citizens benefit from the Georgia Center's educational programs. With too few exceptions, I rarely experience the fulfillment of working closely with the learning transaction, being efficiently insulated as I am by administrative and bureaucratic wrappings. Such isolation can carry with it a numbing loss of perspective.
During the last year, however, a couple of events in continuing education helped "unwrap" me, if you will, helped remove the insulation in ways that were renewing and, yes, even inspiring to me in my role as an educator. While I realized the first occurrence when it happened was a milestone in the field of continuing education, the second event enabled me to appreciate both in a fashion which each alone could not have done. So, in briefly describing them, I'll give you the second first.
This past May, I had an opportunity to be present at the events surrounding the dedication of Tuskegee University's beautiful, new residential continuing education center -- the Kellogg Conference Center. This singular event culminated years of inspired dreaming, coupled with tedious hard work and planning. Benjamin Payton, president of the university, spoke eloquently and passionately about how important this new resource is to Tuskegee. He spoke of service to the people of Alabama and beyond. My friend and colleague, Velma Blackwell, associate provost for continuing education and extension and the individual responsible for making the new conference center and its educational program work, showed throughout three festive days of dedication activity justifiable pride tempered by an undercurrent of tension which came from her responsibility for also having to see that the dedication itself was a huge success. It was.
The Tuskegee University's conference center in that first week of May, was officially about to become the newest member of the Kellogg family of continuing education centers. In attendance, as a rightfully honored special guest and speaker, came Russell G. Mawby, president and CEO of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Once again, all could see how his leadership of the Foundation had produced tangible evidence that the wish of W. K. Kellogg "to help people help themselves" had been carried out. What better place to appreciate such a philosophy than a university founded years before to do just that and led by such visionary educators as Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver.
Funds provided by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation have assisted in the educational program development and in the construction of residential continuing education centers currently operating on nine U.S. campuses and at The University of Oxford, England. A 10th U.S. center is underway at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
At the celebratory banquet held on the final evening of the conference center dedication, I found myself seated next to a young man who I learned would offer remarks on behalf of the Tuskegee University student body. We began our conversation with the usual polite chit-chat common in such circumstances. A couple of hours later, after a delicious meal and expected eloquence in the remarks of Presidents Payton and Mawby, I had been given an unanticipated gift, the brief "speech" of my young associate, Emmitt Jolly, combined with conversation, over dinner. You can discover a great deal about a person and form strong opinions in such a setting and time. I learned that Emmitt intended to study medicine and pursue research interests that would, he hoped, result in a cure for the condition afflicting his mother. Noble sentiments and expected, perhaps, from 20-year-olds, under the circumstances. But, this young man was ... is different. His remarks before the group were truly eloquent. The audience sensed (I could feel it) that here was someone clearly destined to make a difference. Those in the audience who knew Emmitt looked at one another with the smugness of the insider as he spoke. Those yet to be acquainted focused intently.
Later, over dinner, I discovered a thoughtful, serious citizen who clearly saw the problems of modern society and the difficulty for improvement. Also evident was the mischievous side, the college kid who winked and smiled at friends and fellow students who were so effectively staffing the banquet. Obviously, Emmitt enjoyed popular standing among the other students, coupled with recognition on their part that his talents logically placed him on the dais as their representative.
The next day on the drive back to Athens, I reflected on the speeches and ceremonies, wondering about the future for the Kellogg Conference Center and thinking how this jewel among the historically black colleges and universities had been linked by the Kellogg Foundation to, among others, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oxford, and The University of Georgia. I focused then on a dedication which had occurred the previous autumn in Oxford, England, which represents the first event I mentioned earlier.
Having just been at Oxford in August of 1994 with the Georgia Center's "International Institute for Leaders," the fiscal reality of my travel budget prevented acceptance of an invitation to return so soon for the dedication of Oxford University's newest college -- Kellogg College. This dedication did, indeed, represent a benchmark for continuing education. Here, at one of the world's oldest and most prestigious universities, the Kellogg Foundation several decades earlier had begun providing support building on the traditions of English adult liberal education offered through the Department of Extramural Studies which became the Department for Continuing Education. One result had been the establishment of a charming residential conference center, Rewley House. Now, at a university noted for the endurance of its ritual, ceremony, and instructional philosophy, a college (Oxford's 36th) to serve the part-time, adult student took its place with glorious names from over the centuries -- Christ Church, All Souls, Saint John's. Again, another dear friend and colleague, Geoffrey Thomas, a Welshman and a transplanted, Cambridge-educated physicist, had seen the pay off of a dream undergirded with ceaseless work.
Over the last several years, particularly, I had listened to Geoffrey describe his vision of establishing a college at Oxford with roots grounded in continuing education, which would be a college to provide degrees for the part-time adult student. To accomplish the objective would require substantive and renewed commitment on behalf of the Kellogg Foundation in addition to support generated by Geoffrey and his colleagues. It happened.
I watched a videotape months later of the dedication ceremony. I saw Geoffrey installed as the first president of Kellogg College. Once again, I saw Russ Mawby representing the Kellogg Foundation and this time he was planting a tree in the new garden of Kellogg College, an act symbolic of growth and life yet to come. While I couldn't attend the ceremony at Oxford as I had at Tuskegee, I, nevertheless, felt part of two events important to my professional life and to higher education, but, also, personally memorable. I thought about all this as I drove toward Athens. In a few months, Russ would retire as president and CEO of the Kellogg Foundation. His work and the support of the Foundation had tied together places as disparate in history, tradition and origin as Tuskegee and Oxford and people as different as Velma Blackwell, Geoffrey Thomas, and Ed Simpson. I wondered if Russ ever felt insulated; it didn't appear that way.
Those of us at universities boasting a Kellogg Center (or college) have a great deal about which to be proud. I trust we've met the expectations of leaders such as Russ Mawby and the citizens we serve. There are always a few people you try very hard not to disappoint.
I close with congratulations and wishes for continued success to Velma Blackwell and Geoffrey Thomas as they continue their work on behalf of Tuskegee and Oxford, respectively. And, to Russ Mawby, thank you for all that you have done and continue to do. Best wishes for health and happiness in this next phase of life.
I've been thinking about Emmitt Jolly, too. Wouldn't it be something if a new link for Tuskegee and Oxford were through Emmitt Jolly -- as a Rhodes Scholar! Now, there is a young man who could grow up to be president of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
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