Author Archives: tmiles

Remembering Coach Sam Lesseig

Sam Lesseig

Sam Lesseig

Just prior to the start of the fall season, Sam Lesseig, associate professor emeritus of mathematics and head women’s golf coach, passed away. Lesseig joined the University as a member of the Mathematics Department in 1963 and started the women’s golf program in 1985.

He was the only head coach in the 28-year history of the Truman women’s golf team after helping a motivated group of golfers initiate the program.

Lesseig coached two all-Americans and 14 academic all-Americans while leading the Bulldogs to 11 postseason appearances at the National Golf Coaches Association Division II National Championships and the NCAA Division II and III Women’s Golf Championships. In 1999-2000, four members of the team were named to the NGCA all-academic team, the most in school history.

The Bulldogs qualified as a team for the inaugural NCAA meet and returned as a squad after a thrilling second place playoff finish at regionals in 2006-07. Truman finished eighth that year at the national meet in Houston, Texas.

Lesseig served on the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee for a total of nine years and was Truman’s interim athletics director during the 1988-89 school year.

In 1961, he received a bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University (Kan.), and in 1963, he earned a master’s degree from Kansas State University.

He is survived by his wife, Dee, and their three children. Sons Vance (’87) and Corey (’89) both competed for the men’s golf team at Truman, while his daughter Kristen (’88) was a two-time academic all-American for the women’s squad.

Facilities Update

Thanks in part to generous donors and the support of the Student Athletic Fee, the following upgrades/renovations have been made or are in the works to the Truman Athletics facilities:

• New drainage and irrigation has been installed at the baseball, softball and soccer fields. The work, completed over the summer, has provided better playing surfaces. In addition, new warning tracks were installed at the softball field for the safety of the players.

• A new seating area, along with a press box, is under construction at the Truman baseball field. The backstop was replaced and a new sound system was donated.

• New starting blocks were installed in the Truman natatorium.

• At Stokes Stadium, 132 chair-back seats were installed to provide additional comfort for fans at Truman football games this past season. Half of the seats were designated for the Advancement hospitality area while the other half were sold as season-tickets.

• After getting new bleachers and a sound system last year, Pershing Arena’s wood floor was refinished and rebranded with the new conference logo. The arena was also fitted and painted with new acoustical panels to aid in game day presentations.

• The small gym that is used by wrestling, cheerleading, baseball and softball was renovated with a new floor.

Fund Honors Professor’s Commitment

Vera Gomez Piper (left) and Lucy Lee

Vera Gomez-Piper (left) and Lucy Lee

Summer 2012 was Vera Gomez-Piper’s final year leading the Costa Rica Summer Program after having taught at Truman since 1978. The Vera Gomez-Piper Endowed Scholarship Fund was established to honor her upon her retirement from Truman while perpetuating life-changing study abroad experiences for deserving students. Since its inception in late 2012, this endowment has received gifts and pledges totaling $31,559. Donations have come from alumni, colleagues, community members, family and Spanish honor society Sigma Delta Pi. Lucy Lee, professor of Spanish and Classical and Modern Languages Department chair, and Ruth Bradshaw, assistant professor emerita of English, spearheaded the fundraising effort. This new Foundation fund expands educational opportunities for students by securing new scholarship resources, thereby providing greater access to outside-the-classroom experiences.

This fund also serves as a meaningful and lasting expression of respect for this beloved faculty member and friend. It is an expression of gratitude for the remarkable contributions that Gomez-Piper has made to Truman and to countless students’ lives. Through education, she has helped eliminate the barriers of language while increasing an understanding of the traditions, history and values of two distinct cultures. Gomez-Piper has not only built skills, knowledge and confidence among her students, but has built lasting and meaningful relationships between her students, her colleagues and the people of two nations that she now calls home.

“For me personally, it has been exciting because I was able to see students learn so fast and become part of the family and enjoy being in Costa Rica,” Gomez-Piper said. “It is a great satisfaction because many of them go back to visit their families in Costa Rica.”

Ruth Bradshaw unveils the amount donated to the Vera Piper Endowed Scholarship as of September 2013 during a reception for Piper.

Ruth Bradshaw unveils the amount donated
to the Vera Gomez-Piper Endowed Scholarship as of September 2013 during a reception for Gomez-Piper.

The Vera Gomez-Piper Endowed Scholarship is a reflection of a deep affection and appreciation for this educator who has served as a pioneer in providing study abroad opportunities to Truman students. This scholarship fund will support Gomez-Piper’s profound legacy in perpetuity. The financial helping hand this award represents offers access to the transformative experience of study abroad.

Lande Family Establishes Fund in Support of Library

Dr. R. Gregory Lande and Brenda Lande of Silver Spring, Md., created an endowed fund in an effort to enhance the collections of Pickler Memorial Library so that it will continue to serve as an outstanding academic and cultural resource for the University and the community.

After graduating from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Lande served in the military for 20 years in a variety of clinical, academic and administrative positions. Upon his retirement he received the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievement. In addition to his continued medical practice, Dr. Lande is an avid historian, researcher and author. His work has appeared in more than 100 publications on topics ranging from medicine to history.

Brenda is a graduate of the University, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1976. During her time at Truman, she worked as a student assistant in Pickler Memorial Library. She has since earned her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland and continues to work in the field.

The Lande Family Endowed Library Fund, established in 2012 with an initial gift of $15,000, is dedicated to purchasing materials related to military and American history for Pickler Memorial Library. In addition to Dr. Lande and Brenda, the fund also recognizes their son Galen Lande, as well as Maurice and Anne Lande in memoriam.

Tag Day Celebrates Donors

Thanksgiving came early to the Truman campus with the first celebration of Tag Day. Held in conjunction with National Philanthropy Day, Nov. 15, Tag Day celebrated the impact of private donations on the Truman experience. Items made possible by gifts to the University were marked with tags thanking Truman donors. More than 200 items across campus were tagged, including computer labs, campus gardens and outdoor sculptures, classrooms, locker rooms and more.

Students Kaitie Otto (left) and Abagale Casagrande show off two of the many tags that were placed around campus to highlight donor contributions.

Students Kaitie Otto (left) and Abagale Casagrande show off two of the many tags that were placed
around campus to highlight donor contributions.

Much of the money donated to the University enriches the student experience in important, but less tangible, ways. For example, the University awarded more than $579,000 in Foundation scholarships to 559 students last year alone. Intangible items supported by donors, such as scholarships, student travel stipends for conferences and faculty development programs, were identified with signs across campus.

CircleLogoTag Day was held to increase student awareness of the impact donors have on students’ education and to give students the opportunity to say thanks. Student Senate partnered with the Office of Advancement to sponsor a thank you note writing table in the Student Union Building. Students wrote thank you notes to donors for their support of the University and the student experience at Truman. For more information on Tag Day, visit tagday.truman.edu.

Family Creates Chemistry Endowment

Francis T. Wadsworth

Francis T. Wadsworth

Marian Wadsworth cared deeply about her family. She was devoted to nurturing and supporting immediate and extended members of that family throughout her life. Following her husband Francis’ passing in 1988, Marian took steps to honor his memory while also providing substantial support for an important member of the Wadsworth family that had been especially influential in their young lives.

Truman State University provided Francis with a quality undergraduate education and positioned him to excel in his advanced studies as well as his career as a chemist in the petroleum industry. Truman elevated Francis to more fully realize his promise and potential. In turn, Truman was elevated to the status of a family member in 1992 as Marian created the Francis T. Wadsworth Chemistry Program Endowment through the Truman State University Foundation with a deferred gift of life insurance. With this gift arrangement, the University also welcomed Marian as a member of Truman’s planned giving honor society, the Joseph Baldwin Society.

This new endowment was especially meaningful to Marian and to the University as it created a source of funding to meet the needs of students, in addition to chemistry faculty as they engage in professional development experiences necessary for excellence in undergraduate teaching. Marian passed away in 2012, and the couple’s legacy of assisting others is firmly secured in perpetuity at Truman.

Now that this fund is fully endowed with more than $70,000 in assets, it will begin to support students’ undergraduate research projects, provide emergency funds for students whose progress toward their degree may be threatened without financial assistance, help with minor equipment purchases for the Chemistry Department and more.

The devotion and support that were characteristics Marian and Francis Wadsworth consistently displayed during their lives continues. Their generosity will elevate future generations of promising young scholars who will more fully realize their potential due to support from the Francis T. Wadsworth Chemistry Program Endowment.

Scholarship Funds Honor Faculty Couple, Colleagues

John and Jane Bartling

John and Jane Bartling

Between them, John and Jane Bartling taught and mentored hundreds of Truman students within their respective Mathematics and Health and Exercise Science departments. Both Hannibal, Mo., natives, their collective Truman teaching careers spanned 61 years.

To recognize and commemorate this long and impactful record of service to students and the campus community, Dr. John S. Bartling recently made a gift of securities valued at nearly $65,000 to establish four new scholarship funds with the Truman State University Foundation.

One scholarship honors his late wife, Jane Bartling, who passed away in the spring of 2013. Two others honor Jane’s colleagues and life-long friends, Regina Lindhorst and Jo Ann Weekley. The fourth honors Dr. Bartling’s 31-year mathematics teaching career.

The Jane Bartling Memorial Scholarship was established to memorialize and commemorate Jane’s distinguished teaching career at Truman. Jane received BSE and MA degrees from the University and shortly thereafter began a 30-year teaching career in physical education. She retired in 1998 and passed away in the spring of 2013. She was a member of many professional organizations, including the American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Delta Kappa Gamma and was a sponsor of the student chapter of the Missouri State Teachers Association at Truman. This fund is designed to provide opportunities for full-time students who are majoring in health and exercise science at Truman and have a record of achievement and service in extra-curricular or community groups and organizations.

The Regina Lindhorst and Jo Ann Weekley scholarships were established to honor two of Jane Bartling’s colleagues and life-long friends. Lindhorst received a BSE and MA from the University and taught dance courses at Truman from 1963 to 2005. Weekley received a BSE and MA from Truman and taught courses in physical education from 1966 to 2005. Both scholarships will support exercise science students at Truman.

The Dr. John S. Bartling Mathematics Scholarship was created to commemorate his long and memorable career at Truman. Dr. Bartling taught mathematics at the University from 1967 to 1998. He was selected Educator of the Year in 1977 by Alpha Phi Sigma. The purpose of this fund shall be to provide scholarship support to students majoring in mathematics, with preference for students from the Hannibal area.

Alumni Travel Opportunities

Alumni-TravelIf you want to avoid all of the stress of traveling (except for packing, that part is still up to you), then the Alumni Travel Program is for you.

Our travel program has taken alumni, family and friends all around the world, and our next stop is Costa Rica in March 2014. We take care of finding the flights, the best hotels, transportation while on the trip, and of course, the best tour guides to give you a first-class experience you couldn’t pay for anywhere else.

Looking for something a little closer to home? This summer, TruAdventure, offered by the Truman Institute, is planning an introductory backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon, as well as a five-day hiking and camping trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon!

Find out more at institute.truman.edu/truadventure.asp.

Tentative upcoming trips include:
• Vineyards of southern France
• Hiking and camping in the national parks
• Cruise to various ports in Portugal and Spain
• Mediterranean Cruise

If you’re interested in more information, email Denise Smith at dlsmith@truman.edu.

Show your Truman Spirit on National Spirit Day

Alumni-NationalSpiritDayThere are two times a year where it’s okay to cover your kids, home, office, dog and yourself head-to-toe in Bulldog purple (well, it’s always okay, but there are only two days a year where it’ll earn you prizes). Since 2011, we’ve celebrated Truman National Spirit Day twice a year. Make sure to mark your calendars for Friday, April 4 and Oct. 3, 2014!

We want to see who has the most purple pride. Make sure to send us your pictures:
1.    Tweet them to @TrumanAlumni
2.    Email them to bulldogforever2@truman.edu
3.    Go to alumni.truman.edu and fill out the online photo submission form

Photos will be displayed on our website and Facebook pages, plus prizes will be awarded to those who enter.
Categories include:
• Most Spirit
• Spike’s Purple Pups (for all of Spike’s furry friends)
• Lil’ Truman Tykes (for our younger Truman fans)

Our fall semester (Oct. 4, 2013) winner was Meghan Crider who literally screamed her love for Truman at the top of a mountain! Now that’s dedication. Her purple pride was rewarded with the ultimate Bulldog swag package!

Hire a Truman Student

Graduation can be a fulfilling, joyous event in a college student’s life, or it can be terrifying. Remember those feelings? Finding a job, especially as a recent college grad, can be tough. As a Truman grad, you have forged the way to make your own future successful, and now it’s time to give back!

Do you have any open positions available? Start looking where your career began. If you’re a Truman alumnus/na, you can relate to the piles of homework given out on a daily basis. Not to mention the late nights in Pickler that turned into all-nighters so you could ace your exams. You worked hard when you were a Truman student and things haven’t changed.  As you probably already know, Truman students work for a first-class education and are held to the highest standards. What more could you want in an employee candidate?

Want to offer your interview expertise? Interviewing is a skill acquired through practice. The first few can be a little rocky, and as more and more employers are looking outside state lines for the best hire, Skype has become another necessity. Even resumes need some practice before heading out into the hands of possible employers.

If you’d like to advertise a job opening, donate your time to lead mock interviews, or even give resume advice, contact the Career Center at careers@truman.edu or (660) 785-4353.