Lycoming College Report, May 1976

              LYCOMING
COLLEGE REPORT Mav 1976 / Volume 29 Numbe
THE BICENTENNIAL CLASS Introducing
Like NASA with their moon shots, we were
anxiouslv watching the weather for Com-mencement
Week End, It did not look at all
promising for an outdoor ceremony. Then
we got lucky. Sandwiched between a very
wet Saturday evening and a gloomy, windy
and threatening Monday came a partly-sunny
pleasant Sunday afternoon with the tenipera-ture
about 70. Some prayers were answered
and the 1976 commencement was held on the
campus quad. With flowering trees and deli-cate
spring-green foliage for a back drop,
the setting was delightful, and space for
some 2,500 parents, family members and
friends no problem.
To the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance,"
played by the Lycoming College Concert
Band - Dr, Glen E. Morgan conducting - the
^ colorful academic procession entered the
quad from the Washington Boulevard entr-ance
and moved to the flag court, parents'
cameras clicking and whirring all the way.
Walter J, Heim, vice-chairman of the Board
of Trustees, gave the invocation. President
Hutson, presiding at his last commencement
at Lycoming, took a few moments to intro-duce
Fred A, Pennington '32, chairman
emeritus of the Board of Trustees, and
president-elect Dr, Frederick E. Blumer
and Mrs, Blumer. Dr. Hutson spoke briefly
to the graduates, wishing them well in their
Dr. Hutson delivered the baccalaureate
sermon Sunday morning in the First United
Methodist Church on the topic "The Ameri-can
Way of Life—Excess?" Also partici-pating
in the ceremony were the Rev. John
J. Tamalis, assistant pastor of St. Boniface
Catholic Church; the Rev, Melvin L. Whit-mire,
host pastor; the college choir, direct-ed
by Professor Mclver; Mrs. Mary L.
Russell, assistant professor of music, and
Dr. Jose.
Trustee Actions
Three new trustees were elected, a budget
for the 1976-77 fiscal year was adopted, and
special recognition was given tAvo board mem-bers
and the retiring president of the college
at the semi-annual meeting of the board of
trustees of Lycoming College on April 22.
Eight board members were also re-elected.
futu ; pur;
Dr. James R. Jose, dean of the college, pre-sented
the 305 seniors for their degrees. As
seniors were called to the platform to re-ceive
their diplomas, the dean also announ-ced
the honors they had received. Applause
from the audience seemed almost constant.
With retiring Walter G, Mclver directing,
the Lycoming College Choir sang the anthem
"Ye Shall Have a Song" and the choral re-sponse
to Dr. Hutson's benediction. As the
carillon chimed the Alma Mater, Lycoming's
Elected to three-year terms to fill
on the board were Kent D. Shelhamer, a
member of the state legislature from Ber-wick,
and Walter W. Wilt, an attorney from
Harrisburg. The Rev. Dale E. Owens, of
Springfield, was named to a one-year term.
The three-year terms will fill vacancies cre-ated
by the resignation of John T. Detwiler,
of Williamsport, and the death of Frank L.
Dunham, ofWellsboro. The Rev. Mr. Owens
will fill the une.\pired term of the Rev. Har-vey
W. Marsland, of AUentown.
The board also named Fred A. Pennington,
of Mechanicsburg, chairman emeritus of the
board, and Dr. Harold H. Hutson, president
emeritus of the college, and awarded a watch
to Paul E. Gilmore, of Williamsport. for 25
years of sei-vice to the board. All three
were honored at a luncheon at the Genetti-
Lycoming. when gifts were also presented to
Dr. Hutson and Mr. Pennington.
^^aa^rt^^fe
Dr. Frederick E. Blumer, 42, vice presi-dent
for academic affairs and provost of
Nebraska Wesleyan University since 1969.
was named president of Lycoming College at
the annual spring meeting of the Board of
Trustees on April 22, 1976, His appoint-i
effective July 1, 1976.
Election of Dr. Blumer to fill a vacancy cre-ated
by the previously announced retirement
of Dr. Harold H. Hutson on June 30, 1976.
was unanimously approved by the Board.
His appointment was recommended by a 13-
member committee appointed last October to
seek a replacement for Dr. Hutson.
Comprised of 9 members of the board of trus-tees,
two faculty members, one administrator,
and one student, the committee made the se-lection
of Dr. Blumer from the more than 120
applicants who had expressed interest in the
position.
Dr. Blumer, a native of Glen Coe. Okla.
.
where he was bom September 16, 1933. has
been associated with Nebraska Wesleyan
since receiving his Ph.D. degree from
Emory University in 1962. He joined the
faculty of the Lincoln. Neb. , college that
year as chaplain and instructor of philoso-phy
and religion. He subsequently was pro-moted
to professor and in 1967 was named
vice president for academic affairs. He was
given the added responsibility as provost of
Nebraska Wesleyan in 1969.
Dr, Blumer received his bachelor of arts
degree from Millsaps Col lege and both his
bachelor of divinit>' and Ph.D. from Emory
University, He is an ordained minister in
The United Methodist Church.
The president-elect served two years in
1972-73 as dean and director of the Graz
Center, a summer program conducted at the
University of Graz, Austria, in which numer-ous
American students, including a number
from Lycoming, have participated. He also
served for one year as editor of the Nebraska
Wesleyan University Press.
(Cont'd on page 3, col. 3)