Month: August 2021

Remembering Caroline Dees

The Heavenly Host gained a wonderful soprano voice this week.

That voice belongs to Caroline Dees, who has also been widely known to light up a room with her distinctive laugh. Caroline spent her entire teaching career at WVWC, mentoring and inspiring generations of students from 1969-2006. For 37 years, she shared her wit, humor, and joy of music.  And always with a smile.

She also had a love of libraries which started way back in her high school days in  in Atlanta, where she was a member of the North Fulton High School Main Library Staff. This love continued throughout her life as she received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina through a distance education program in 1995. She put those skills to good use in the Music Library in Loar Hall.

North Fulton High School Yearbook, 1960

There are too many stories to even know where to begin. Stories of voice lessons, traveling to far-off places to share music together, and of Caroline singing at the weddings of her students and friends.

For the purpose of this writing, I would like to focus on one event that stands out in the minds of many. Caroline’s role as Satan in The Descent into Hell, which the college commissioned for the celebration of its 90th birthday. It took place in Wesley Chapel on Thursday, October 16, 1980 at 8:30 pm.

The full program for the evening is available here.

This list of musicians represents a multitude of Wesleyan’s finest students and choir alumni who had gathered for this special occasion. I am sure that rehearsals were an amazing amount of fun.

I am sure each of them could tell stories of how Caroline Dees was part of their journey, and I hope that many will click on this link and share them.  As they are shared, you can click here and watch the story of the impact of Caroline’s life.

Larry Parsons shared this message on Facebook, and is a beautiful blessing and benediction. It speaks so much about their work together through the years.

In paradisum deducant te angeli: May the angels lead you into paradise.

The Thoughts and Memories collection was started in Spring 2021 in order to give faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college a place to share their stories  of people, buildings, events, groups (or other!) from their time at WVWC. Although many do so on Facebook and other platforms, those are not saved in this more permanent way. Here is a link to the full collection.

You can submit your thoughts and memories about Caroline (and about other people as well) by clicking here. And, you can even add photos if you like!

Update: November 8, 2021

A beautiful Service of Celebration was held in Wesley Chapel on November 6, 2021. As part of that service, a Reader’s Theater Monologue was presented by Jane Weimer Godwin (1976), Sarah Carr Parsons (1982), Don Gardner (1977), and Dave Carson (1974).

Continue reading Remembering Caroline Dees

Recognizing Rupp’s Giant Impact

It is August, and school will be starting soon. Students will make their way back to Buckhannon, but there will be a big difference.  For the first time in over three decades, Professor Robert O. Rupp will not be there! It hardly seems possible to the many students he has inspired and the colleagues who have depended on his honest and steady leadership.

2000 Murmurmontis

Talk about a very well-deserved retirement!! 

When Rob arrived at West Virginia Wesleyan in 1989, he hit the ground running. That very year he had served as a co-producer of a documentary for PBS (The Front Porch President: Warren G. Harding). This 30 minute documentary can be seen on Turner Classic Movies by clicking here.  An article about this documentary can be found in the Spring 1990 Sundial.

1991 Murmurmontis

In 1990 he Co-Hosted a Symposium, The Primary That Made a President,  with the West Virginia Department of Culture and History with assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Kennedy visit to West Virginia in the 1960 primary. The symposium included Kennedy’s campaign manager, Sargent Shriver. (Sundial, Summer 1990)

In 1991, he organized a pair of panel discussions on the Gulf War, bringing in people to discuss Desert Storm from many perspectives including moral and political implications. More than 90 students also signed up for the course he developed on that very current topic.

Sundial, Summer 1991

At the Awards Assembly in the spring of 1991, Community Council awarded him the Outstanding Faculty Award, and he also received the Faculty Excellence Award from the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. (Sundial, Summer 1991, p.13)

Rob has never slowed down since. 

  • For more than 30 years, he has been a leader, an inspiration, a mentor, an author, and a friend. 
  • He has inspired students who now serve in government at all levels, and brought many well-known and timely guests to class. The speakers:  government officials, aids to presidents, writers, historians, and more have often commented about how impressed they are with the preparation of the students!
  • He has inspired students who now teach at all levels – and who reflect his passion and energy, sharing them with new generations.
  • He has been a leader in the faculty (Faculty Chair four different times!) His thoughtful, steady, and considered comments have been powerful in that role through the years.
  • He has been a voice far beyond campus as well, serving as a commentator and election analyst with the Charleston Gazette, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and on Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval.

    2009
  • He has been a leader in the community, serving as President of the Upshur County Board of Education, Rotarian, active leader at First United Methodist Church, and more.
  • He has even played Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street with the Buckhannon Community Theater (2018) in order to spend some great quality time with his grandchildren!
Photo by Katie Kuba (2018)

                                      

Photo by Katie Kuba (2018)                      Well done, Professor Robert O. Rupp!!! A true WVWC Giant.