Alumni

Sam McCleskey, BE’51 Photo by John Russell It’s a fact of life: For some people, earning a living means dealing with death. Sam McCleskey has spent most of his career as the country’s premier builder of mausoleums. The earliest mausoleum was built between 353 and 350… Read More

COURTESY OF MICHAEL WOODARD. When the Black Hawk helicopter I was flying landed at the American base near Al Qayyarah in early October 2005, ending my role in Operation Iraqi Freedom, it came as welcome relief from the maddening pace of the previous 12 months. Naively, I… Read More

Outfitters to Wookiees and Warlocks: Paul Bielaczyc, BS’02, MS’04 (standing), and his brother, Michael, only use their special powers for good, helping solve the age-old problem of what to wear to your next Renaissance festival or science fiction convention. The brothers create ogre masks, elf ears, faun pants, fangs,… Read More

“Never believe the landlord when he says that living next to the ‘el’ train is an ‘urban experience.'” Life After Vanderbilt is a new guide written for new graduates by recent graduates–a collection of advice that the Alumni Association will present as a graduation gift to each member of the… Read More

Katrina Markoff, BA’95 Alumni who are part of the 37 Vanderbilt Chapters nationwide are staying connected by planning dozens of events each year, from simple get-togethers for ballgames and happy hours to elaborate wine tastings and educational lectures. Here’s just a sampling: The New York and Chicago chapters each… Read More

“Opening Dores allows students to get real-world advice about what they can do with their Vanderbilt degree. And it’s fun for the alumni, who chat about their old classes and professors, sports, and what it means to be a Vanderbilt alum.” ~Kate Stuart “Should I take Italian or Spanish? And… Read More

Billy O’Steen, BA’89 (left), Betsy Macdonald, BS’90, and Kirk Williams, BA’89 “Kids seem to be the admission ticket for making new friends in strange places,” says Kirk Williams, who figured he was the only Vanderbilt alumnus living in the small coastal village of Sumner, New Zealand, until one day… Read More

Ted Hildreth, BE’89 (standing, right), with Terry Moran, co-anchor of ABC News’ Nightline. Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III If North Korea or Iran shot an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the United States, most of us would be blissfully unaware. But for Lt. Col. Ted Hildreth, this… Read More

Marc Hamburger, BA’64 Photo by Daniel Dubois People who collect stamps or coins have it easy–they can add to their collections whenever their budget allows. But for car collectors like Marc Hamburger, space is always a consideration. Of the seven cars in his collection, those nearest and dearest to… Read More

Take three best friends forever. Let’s make them blonde, with Southern accents. One night over a dinner of martinis and mini-burgers, the trio happens upon an idea that grows into an international success story–Passport Panties.Turns out tiny pieces of lingerie equal big business.You can find them in more than… Read More

In 2005 Katharine Carroll was beginning her career as a professional cyclist. She just missed a top-10 finish in her first race, the Athens Twilight Criterium, and then placed fourth in the Joe Martin Stage Race. Just two years later–a very short time in the cycling world–she won both… Read More

Alumni Association News Remember when you were a Vanderbilt student, not quite sure where you would land after graduation or how you were going to make the transition from the classroom to the work world? Wouldn’t it have been great to connect with former students who had at… Read More

After Herschel Gower retired in 1985 as an English professor at Vanderbilt, he figured he’d take it easy and refinish furniture. “I’ve done no refinishing at all,”Gower says.”Working for one’s wife is certainly hazardous.” The two now live in Dallas, where Dona is executive director of the Athena… Read More

We never know when one small incident will change lives. It was reading a National Geographic article one September afternoon during my sophomore year at Vanderbilt that changed mine. Reading the article “Twenty-First Century Slaves” in my dorm room that day, I was horrified and heartbroken to learn there… Read More

In the City, you don’t stargaze. You don’t dig through wildflower field guides for the name of that brilliant trumpet burst of blue you saw on your morning walk. You don’t hunt for animal tracks in the snow or pause in that same frozen forest, eyes closed, listening for… Read More