Jim Durham, News Bureau Director

The Georgetown Activities Council’s Co-VP for Traditions – Thomas Owens, a junior from Nicholasville, and Emily Faulkner, a senior from Hopkinsville, pictured here with 6-year-old Josie Dummer – want to welcome the public for the College’s annual “Hanging of the Green” on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Josie, a first-grader at Western Elementary, helped GAC promote this most wonderful holiday tradition to the community via the Georgetown News-Graphic. She is the daughter of James and Susan Dummer – respectively, a teacher at Scott County Middle School, and a professor in the College’s Communication & Media Studies department.

The event begins at 7 p.m. in John L. Hill Chapel with entertainment and singing and a special message from Alan Redditt ‘00, pastor of Georgetown Baptist Church.

Participants will enjoy the Joyful Noise Singers, GC’s gospel choir led by graduate student Pam Young of Georgetown; the GC Chorale led by Dr. John Campbell; and congregational songs led by Campus Ministry sophomores Morgan Floyd of Richmond and Evan Harrell of Middlesboro.

Children will again be invited to place an ornament (which is provided) on the Christmas tree along with representatives from each campus organization.

Then, the event moves outside for the traditional lighting of Giddings Circle, hot chocolate and carols. The Tiger Tunistas – an all-female a capella group led by senior Molly Maggard of Hazard – will lead the crowd in the singing of “Silent Night.”

Jim Durham, News Bureau Director

Rev. Dr. W. Morgan Patterson, the 22^nd President of Georgetown College (1984-91), – after a brief illness – died a few minutes before midnight Friday (Nov. 19) at his home in Novato, CA. attended by his wife, Ernestine, and both of his sons.

Memorial services will be held at the Tiburon Baptist Church in Tiburon, CA, at 2 p.m., Sunday (Nov. 28). Burial will be at a nearby cemetery the following day with arrangements under the direction of Keaton’s Redwood Chapel of Marin, Novato. Among the tributes already to Dr. Patterson, a historian who taught at four Southern Baptist seminaries, is a story on the Associate Baptist Press website. Also, the Georgetown College flag will be flown at half mast through Wednesday in Patterson’s honor.

William H. Crouch, Jr., who succeeded Patterson as president in ’91, said, “Anyone who dedicates a portion of their life to leading an institution is a person with a servant heart. Morgan Patterson served Georgetown College and her students for eight years as president with dedication and passion. In 2001, the trustees named the important and historic Admissions facility in his honor as a symbol of gratitude for his leadership. His scholarship will be forever remembered at this place and we thank God for his time as our leader.”

During the Patterson administration, Georgetown College consistently increased its enrollment each year of his leadership, reached an endowment of more than $16 million (then a record), and saw the restoration and beautification of two antebellum buildings – Highbaugh Hall and Pawling Hall. Among other improvements and acquisitions, the purchase of 52 acres of farmland east of campus stands out.

“A lasting legacy many people don’t know was Dr. Patterson’s vision for the land that would become ‘East Campus’,” said Garvel Kindrick ’85, now the College’s VP of Enrollment – and a student representative on the incoming president’s inaugural committee back then. “Without that we couldn’t have handled the growth we’ve had under President Crouch – the 128 beds in the apartments, and Cincinnati Bengals training camp.”

Patterson also leaves quite a legacy at Campbellsville University where he had served as Scholar in Residence since 2000. Dr. Frank Cheatham, that Baptist institution’s vice president for academic affairs, said, “His knowledge and experience provided an extra dimension for our students. I was looking forward to his return in the spring.”

Campbellsville’s president, Dr. Michael V. Carter, added, “Dr. Patterson was a brilliant scholar and Baptist historian and an accomplished higher education leader. We were very saddened to learn of his death and extend our heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Ernestine Patterson and family. The Campbellsville University family has been greatly enriched as a result of Dr. Patterson’s service for a number of years as a visiting scholar. We will miss him tremendously.”

Jo Griffith, the former administrative assistant to Patterson and three other Georgetown presidents, said by telephone, “President Patterson was quite a gentleman and a scholar…a great academician. Retired now in Elizabethtown, she added, “He was also a great person to work for.”

Georgetown graduate Marsha Oakes Eden ’87, an SGA Speaker of the House during college and now of Lexington, recalled “Dr. Patterson was a great listener and always made the students feel very comfortable when speaking with him.”

In 1992, Patterson received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Stetson University, and in 1993 he was given the Distinguished Service Award for contributions to Baptist history by the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Official obituary for W. Morgan Patterson

(October 1, 1925 / November 19, 2010)

Rev. Dr. Patterson, a native of New Orleans, LA was born to E Palmer Patterson and Jess Margaret Patterson on Oct. 1, 1925.. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ernestine N Patterson of Longwood, FL, two sons, W Morgan Patterson II and Jay N Patterson, and four grandchildren, Nolan, Jessica, Grace and Abigail.

After high school, he served as a flight officer in the US Army Air Corp. Upon discharge after WWII, he entered the Christian ministry. He completed his undergraduate work at Stetson University, Deland FL. He continued his education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and post graduate study at Oxford University, England. Dr. Patterson taught church history and related subjects at four theological seminaries in Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and most recently at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, CA. He ended his career as the 22^nd President of Georgetown College in Kentucky (1984 – 1991). After retirement, he continued teaching at the seminaries and at four colleges and universities; Louisiana Baptist College, Baptist College of Florida, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Campbellsville University in Kentucky. As an Assistant to the President, Dr Patterson represented the College of the Ozarks for the western United States.

Representatives of schools where he served will join family and friends at the Memorial Service to be held at Tiburon Baptist Church, 445 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon, on November 28, 2010 at 2 p.m.

Dr Patterson has donated his extensive library collection of church history and related material to the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, 201 Seminary Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Donations may be made to GGBTS / W Morgan Patterson Collection in lieu of flowers.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to all those who were supportive during his recent illness.

Jim Durham, News Bureau Director

Bob Russell, the popular Retired Senior Minister of Louisville’s Southeast Christian Church, is certain to draw a crowd as the speaker at Georgetown College at 11 a.m., Nov. 30 in John L. Hill Chapel. His sermon – “Worldly Success or Spiritual Significance” – is free and open to the public.

Russell said in an e-mail he will challenge this audience with questions such as these: “When your life is over will your life matter? So what? Who cares? Says who?”

Russell’s appearance is also one of the highlights of Georgetown’s fall College for a Day (Nov. 30) that includes four exciting “class” choices, a special luncheon and a closing reception on that Tuesday for only $25 per person. For that special event package, please RSVP by noon Wednesday (Nov. 24) to Kathleen Johnson, (502) 863-8041, toll free 877-640-0107, or via email Kathleen_Johnson@georgetowncollege.edu.

Bob Russell began his 40-year tenure at Southeast Christian in 1966 with a congregation of 120 and saw it become one of the largest churches in the country at their wonderful Blakenbaker Parkway location with 18,000 people attending the four worship services every weekend in 2006 – the year he stepped down. Through Bob Russell Ministries he mentors ministers and elders. He’s also the author of more than a dozen books, including Transition Plan: 7 Secrets Every Leader Needs to Know, which he co-authored with Bryan Bucher. Learn more at http://bobrussellministries.org

If you decide to come for the entire College for a Day, here are your class choices:

In the morning, choose between Dr. Ben Oldham, a Southeastern Conference football official, “Watching the Zebras: A Behind-the-Scenes at the Game of Football;” and Dr. Greg Earwood, president of Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, “What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You.”

For the afternoon session, choose either Music professor Pete LaRue, Director of Georgetown College Bands, “Tunes for Twangers – Silver Threads Make the Gold,” tracing the three unique strands (Appalachia, Sacred Music and Delta) as they came together to form that which we know as country music; or Laura Stewart, curator and director of the College’s art galleries, “Frame Your Mind for Art” with the subtitle “The ugly truth is out: not all art looks beautiful.”

Soloists from left: Rebecca Thompson, Rachel Ward, Gavin Sewell

Jim Durham, News Bureau Director

Director Pete LaRue has so much talent this year, he chose three student soloists to perform during the Fall Anniversary Tiger Symphonic Band Concert – Celebrating 166 Years of Bands at Georgetown College – on Nov. 22.

The three in Monday’s spotlight will be: Rebecca Thompson, a senior from Ashland; Rachel Ward, a junior from Georgetown; and Gavin Sewell, a senior from Dawson Springs. Sewell, who also performed a solo spring before last, has the additional honor of conducting the College’s Alma Mater at the end.

The curtain will rise at 8 p.m. in John L. Hill Chapel. Admission – as is customary for this Thanksgiving tradition – is a canned food item that will then be collected and donated to the AMEN House in Scott County.

“Each soloist is an exemplar of excellence – great academics, great members of our campus community, great-great young musicians. And each of the solos they are playing are very different in nature – Mozart with Rebecca on French Horn to the Wren Polka with Rachel on Piccolo, to Trumpeter’s Lullaby with Gavin.”

Here, each performer gives some insight on their particular solo:

Rebecca Thompson

Rondo from Concerto No. 3 K447 (1787) composed by Mozart, arranged by Bardeen

“One of my favorite things about my solo on Mozart’s third horn concerto is how it sounds like a hunting song. There are a couple of repeated measures that sound exactly like a hunting call that even non-music people ought to be able to recognize. Also intriguing is how the lilt of the song calls to mind horses galloping to me. It is so interesting to me that Mozart could bring to mind such imagery of the hunt just by the style of the work.”

Rebecca is in the Honors Program and studied two Spring 2010 terms (Psychology of Religion and Pauline Literature) at Georgetown’s University of Oxford partner in England, Regent’s Park College. A Psychology major, Religion minor, she is a member of the Campus Ministry Leadership Team as the Freshman Ministries Co-Coordinator.

Rachel Ward

The Wren Polka (1880) composed by Damare, arranged by Beard

“The title is pretty self explanatory – this is a dance inspired by a wren. You could listen for the dance’s themes and variations, but really, the piece isn’t meant to be picked apart; it’s supposed to be light and fun.”

At Georgetown, Rachel has been involved with Phi Mu fraternity, Project Compassion, Honor Council, National Honor Society, Presidential Mentorship Program, Independent Films Club. She is a Spanish major, and Chemistry/Art double minor.

Gavin Sewell

Trumpeter’s Lullaby (1949) composed by Anderson

“Well, first, the tune is called a lullaby for a reason.  It is just that…mostly a sweet and easy tune that is written to appeal to the modern western ear.

Someone who knows very little about music reading or music making might pick up the solo part and assume the piece is either extremely fast or extremely busy…as each measure is filled with several notes, most of which are marked ‘staccato or short.’

But as you listen, you find (again for the most part) that the piece doesn’t and shouldn’t come across that way at all.  That’s where a little musical integrity must come into play…make it feel easy, and try to ensure that it comes across that way. “

Sewell, a Biology major and Music minor, was installed as the 20th Gem Alumni of the Tiger Bands two years ago. Already a graduate of John Gupton College of Funeral Service Arts in Nashville, he is a Kentucky Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. He will finish his GC degree this December.

The concert is, of course, much more than the sum of these three wonderful solos. Director Pete LaRue is also very excited about two new works for band – Black River Overture (Doss) and Arabesque (Hazo). “These are barn-burners!”