Epilogue

Thomas Floyd “Tommy” Howe Jr., who served as the scientific glassblower for Vanderbilt’s Department of Chemistry for 30 years, died June 29 in Nashville. He was 76. During his three decades at the university, Howe made major contributions to the chemistry department’s teaching and research programs as well… Read More

J.R. Hand, BS’03, and Kailey Hand, BS’03, MEd’05 The 200 alumni and parent volunteers represented Reunion, chapters, the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni, G.O.L.D. Council, and the Parents and Family Association board. “There was an exciting energy level with so many Commodores together. I really enjoyed meeting the… Read More

After Lisa Abramson gave birth to her first daughter in 2014, she descended into a dark period of postpartum depression and psychosis, a mood disorder that is estimated to affect more than 3 million women—roughly one in seven new moms—every year. The experience influenced her to write The… Read More

Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt University How much should I expect to pay for rent? What about finding a roommate? How should I manage taxes? Vanderbilt seniors are well prepared to succeed in a number of fulfilling careers, but still have lots of questions about adjusting to life after… Read More

Photo by Laurie Perez When Hurricane Harvey struck Houston in August 2017, one of the hardest-hit areas was downtown, home to the Houston Grand Opera. The company was flooded out of its Wortham Theater Center home, but the show would go on. The company’s season-opening… Read More

Theo Morrison, Joe Howell/Vanderbilt University Theo Morrison developed his civic acumen as a kid watching televised Nashville Metro Council meetings with his parents. “They instilled in me a love for my community and a commitment to making sure that I was engaged,” he says. “It was fascinating to… Read More

Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University During Vanderbilt’s third annual Giving Day on June 5, alumni from across the country showed their support and Commodore pride by making gifts of all sizes. Bryan Byrdlong, BA’15, was among them. As the chair of Graduates Of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) for the Nashville Chapter… Read More

Frank F. Drowota III, BA’60, JD’65, who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1980 to 2006, died April 15. He was 79. Drowota served on the Davidson County Chancery Court and the state Court of Appeals before first winning a seat on the state Supreme… Read More

Daniel DuBois/Vanderbilt University Nancy Ransom, MAT’71, EdD’88, founding director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center at Vanderbilt and a champion of women’s rights, education and gender equality, died March 19 in Wilmington, Delaware, from complications of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 89. From 1978… Read More

Eugene Arthur TeSelle Jr., Oberlin Professor of Church History and Theology, emeritus, and a strong advocate on community issues ranging from urban neighborhood preservation to integrated schools, died March 1. He was 86. TeSelle was born in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 8, 1931. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa… Read More

William W. Bain Jr., BA’59:  Long-Term Strategist William W. Bain Jr., an alumnus and emeritus member of the Board of Trust, died Jan. 16 at his home in Naples, Florida. He was 80 years old. Bain founded Bain & Co., a corporate strategy consulting… Read More

Ann Cook Calhoun (photo by John Russell) Ann Cook Calhoun, Vanderbilt professor of English, emerita—an internationally renowned Shakespeare scholar and a powerful force for making the Bard’s plays accessible to everyone—died Aug. 13, 2017, in Nashville after a brief illness. She was 82. Calhoun held leadership roles in… Read More

Samuel T. McSeveney, professor of history, emeritus, and a Vanderbilt faculty member for nearly 30 years, died Aug. 5 in Nashville. He was 86. McSeveney was an expert on late-19th-century American history—particularly the Gilded Age and political history of New York City and the Northeast—and was the author… Read More

Vanderbilt faculty are among the many reasons our students have been voted the happiest in the U.S. We all have professors we remember with fondness and admiration. For me, two were life-changing. Professor Robert Birkby was rough, tough, demanding, intimidating—and beloved by his students. He did not suffer… Read More

L. Hall Hardaway Jr., chairman of the board of Hardaway Construction Co., Vanderbilt School of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus, and an emeritus Vanderbilt trustee, died Sept. 20, 2017, in Nashville. He was 84. Having earned his Vanderbilt degree in civil engineering, he first worked as a field superintendent with… Read More

Michael Quaranta (Photo copyright Mehosh Photography) Touring Nashville’s Standard Candy Co., famous for its century-old Goo Goo Cluster candy bar, a pair of Owen Graduate School of Management classmates had an oddball bolt of inspiration. “Wouldn’t it be great to have something similar for dogs?” recalls Craig O’Sullivan. Read More

Ten years into a high-achieving law career, Heather Hubbard, JD’04, found herself captivated by a promotional brochure for the Tanzania Migration trip with the Vanderbilt Travel program, sponsored by the Alumni Association. Before they could get cold feet, she and her husband paid the deposit. It was life-changing. Read More

Photo by Joe Howell When Mary Cohron, EMBA’88, received her degree from Owen Graduate School of Management, she was one of only eight women in her class of about 50. “Back in 1988 there weren’t that many women in top-tier business schools, and Vanderbilt took a chance on… Read More

Known for her encyclopedic command of the law, Florida Senior Assistant Attorney General Sandra Jaggard helped keep some of Miami’s most notorious killers on Death Row. She died unexpectedly Oct. 11, 2016, at age 51. Jaggard was a unique person with a unique job. A one-time engineer who… Read More

Cicely Woodard (Photo by Theresa Montgomery) For students whose hearts race at the thought of coefficients and cube roots, look no further than Cicely Woodard. The mathematics teacher at Metro Nashville’s West End Middle Prep School was named the 2017–18 Tennessee Teacher of the Year in September for… Read More