Alumni Present
Medallion
Awards

 

 

 

 

Each year, the Seattle Pacific University Alumni Association gives Medallion Awards to alumni who've demonstrated exceptional service to their professions, communities and churches. During 1996-97, four alumni were honored with Medallion Awards:

Ralph Gwinn '47, now retired, had a long and illustrious career as college professor and pastor. A member of Fuller Seminary's first graduating class, Gwinn became a professor at Knoxville College, African American College and Beirut College of Women, and taught New Testament at the University of Edinburgh. He has pastored various Presbyterian churches and was parish associate for University Presbyterian Church in Seattle.

Tillman Houser '47 was a Free Methodist missionary to Africa for 34 years. He experienced extreme political and cultural change while working in education, evangelism and finance in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Houser developed African leadership and offered spiritual help and counseling to young Africans who migrated from "the bush" to the city. He also helped establish the Zimbabwe public school system which still offers a period of Bible teaching each day.

Peggy Johnson '52 is a Republican state congresswoman from Washington's 35th Legislative District. She chairs the House Education Committee and has served on committees dealing with economic development and labor issues. Johnson has also worked 20 years as a substitute teacher and has been a consultant and workshop leader for Gospel Light Publishing Company. She is a champion of reading literacy and an advocate of vocational-technical education.

Dave Quall '61, '74 is a third-term Democratic state congressman from Washington's 40th Legislative District. He serves on the House Education Committee and is the ranking minority member of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee. Quall has taken leadership roles in the YMCA and in providing affordable, low-cost housing. He is a former high school teacher, guidance counselor and college basketball coach.


 

 

Alum Provides Kids With Tutoring -- and a Day at the Ranch

 

 

 

 

 

 
Ric Radford and a young horseman.

 


Last May, approximately 400 kids and adults converged on a horse ranch near Green River in Auburn, Washington. Owned by 1965 Seattle Pacific alumnus Ric Radford, the ranch has become the site of a twice-yearly celebration for children and tutors involved with SMART, the Student Mentoring and Reading Tutors program.

Enjoying a day of horseback riding, volleyball, baseball and general romping, children whose world is typically filled with too little hope and too much stress find a place to be carefree.

"A lot of these kids are from severely shattered homes," explains Radford, owner of Clear Medical, a company that makes disinfection equipment for reprocessing medical products in hospitals. "For some, their bedroom is the pickup truck out in the street."

Now completing 10 years, SMART pairs students with employees of businesses and organizations, including St. Joseph Medical Center, Weyerhaeuser, three Tacoma Rotary clubs and many more. Helping children in several Tacoma elementary schools -- including those in the infamous Hilltop area -- SMART grew to four schools with the help and encouragement of Radford.

"Ric's vision was to expand," says Patty Worrell, SMART program coordinator. Recently, SMART has also expanded into four Oregon schools.

Meeting one-on-one with students throughout the school year, tutors try to instill children with a love of reading and an improved self-concept -- leading to improved scholastic achievement. Tutors now meet with every child in kindergarten and first grade in the four schools, and also with many others up through fifth grade. They have made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children.

"We tested a group of kids who had tutors for two years, and we found that 71 percent of them were on or above grade level," says Worrell.

But perhaps equally as important for the inner-city kids are the celebrations at the ranch. One afternoon on Farm Day two years ago, a young boy approached Radford while he and several other adults were chatting in the barn. Recalls Radford: "He came up, pulled on my shirt, looked up at me and said, 'Mr. Radford, this has been the best day of my life.'"


 

 

 

Alum Furnishes Habitat Home on a Shoestring

 

 


 

 
Joan Allen and the owner of the home she furnished for less than $1,000.

 


In the days when Dorothy Kreider directed the Home Economics Department at Seattle Pacific, she would invite students to her home to see how the elements of interior design could be put to effective use. The message was clear: "Good taste costs no more."

One of those students listened especially well. Joan Edlund, a 1975 graduate, went on to marry, raise a daughter, and teach junior and senior high home economics at Bellevue Christian School. "Good design is good design, no matter how much you spend," she told her students. "A brand name is no guarantee of better quality."

The supreme test of that philosophy came last fall when student, teacher and creator all merged in Joan Edlund Allen. Five low-income townhouses owned by Habitat for Humanity were going up near her home in Bellevue. She thought it would be a fun challenge -- and a true test of the simplicity model -- to furnish one entire 1,200-square-foot home for a limit of $1,000.

She approached Habitat with the idea and they accepted her challenge on one condition. Because it wouldn't be fair for just one low income family to have their own personal interior designer, the furnishings would have to be auctioned off and the proceeds used in support of Habitat's overall program and to cover Allen's expenses.

"By the grace of God, we did it!" says Allen, who teamed up with Linda Stordahl, director of human services at First Covenant Church in Seattle. "Linda said it was fun in an exhausting sort of way. If it's used to benefit someone else, God seems to bless the effort."

Experienced hands at thrift store browsing and garage "saling," Allen and Stordahl spent eight months treasure-hunting the right pieces to fit their design scheme.

The right things seemed to just fall into their laps. An armoire for $100. Four Hitchcock chairs for $5 each. A $2 oil painting of a pastoral scene that turned out to be an original rendered in 1876. An antique iron horse purchased one place for $8 plus tax, traded elsewhere for the perfect couch. The most expensive single find was a used gold iron bed in a Victorian style that for $125, says Allen, "Just made the look of the master bedroom."

Everywhere they went, God got the credit. "We always stressed that God was helping us, that he was behind the project," notes Allen. The newspapers got wind of the story, as did PBS Television who included the designing women on an episode of "Serious Money" that brought a lot of publicity Habitat's way.

The auction was a success and after the bargain hunters were reimbursed, Habitat netted more than $3,000.


 

 

Feelin' Casey: Don't Miss This Year's Alumni Weekend

 



It's midsummer and something's come over you. You have an unusual rapport with seagulls. You catch yourself staring off to the west for no apparent reason. You fight the odd urge to be buried up to your neck in a sandbox.

Don't worry, you're just naturally "Feelin' Casey!" That's the theme for this year's Alumni Weekend at Casey Conference Center, August 30-September 1. Seattle Pacific University alumni and their families, students and friends will spend a weekend by the sea eating, playing games, beachcombing and showing off their many talents.

For complete schedule and registration information, and directions to Casey, please call the Alumni Center at 206/281-ALUM.


 

 

1998 Homecoming Dates

 



If you're planning ahead, you'll want to put the dates for Homecoming 1998 on your calendar.

The two-day celebration is scheduled for February 6-7. Once again, this will be a fun-filled weekend of alumni reunions, basketball action, theatre, music and much more. For information, call the Alumni Office at 206/281-ALUM.

 

 




Please read our disclaimer. Send any questions, comments or correspondence about Response to jgilnett@spu.edu or call 206-281-2051.
Copyright © 1999 University Communications, Seattle Pacific University.

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