Thomas English Hill '29
Samuel Middleton Hines '34
Daniel Jonathan Stowe ’35
The Rev. Roger P. Melton ’37
James Young Wilson, Sr. ’38
Parks Wilson Hand, Sr. ’3
James Dwight "J.D." Hicks '39
Karl G. Hudson, Jr. '40
Wallace B. Scherer '40
F. Harding Sugg, Sr. '40
Edward Tarry "Bits" Watkins ’40
Otho Albea Dearman, Jr. '41
Dr. Milton Stevenson "Steve" Thurston '42
John R. Maness '45
Robert Penick Whaling '45
Lee B. Brown '46
Dr. Nathaniel Garrison, Sr. '46
Charles DeLaney '47
Robert E. Cline '48
Dr. John Angus Wheliss '48
Dr. George Washington Cheek, Jr. '49
Thomas Conner Clark '49
Columbus Morris Newell '49
Charles Lewis Price '49
Robert Edward Long '50
Dr. Robert C. Patten, Sr. '50
Isaac Marshall Whisnant '50
Charles William "Bill" Buckey '52
Dr. I. Slaydon Myers '52
The Rev. Dr. George M. Walker '53
Ross Jordan Smyth '58
Robert M. Gill '62
Joseph Bacon Martin III '62
Karl-Heinz Hauer
Erwin Tucker Laxton '67
Archie Graham Davis '68
Christopher U. Leach '90

Thomas English Hill’29 of Chapel Hill, N.C.,died July 8, 2006. He spent his early years in Richmond and Fayetteville, and graduated from Davidson and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond. After study in Germany and Scotland, he earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Edinburgh. He taught briefly at King College and Southwestern [Rhodes] College and did post-doctoral study at Harvard before a long and successful career teaching and writing philosophy at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. His five books concerned ethics, knowledge, meaning, and “a good life.” He was an esteemed teacher and colleague influential in the academic development of the college. He enjoyed more than fifty years of marriage to Sara Armfield, a graduate of Agnes Scott College and a teacher of physics and mathematics. They retired to Chapel Hill in 1974, and even after her death, ten years later, he continued to write and take part in local philosophy discussions. A national AAU wrestling champion in 1929, he remained devoted to tennis and exercise for many years. Survivors include his daughters Sara P. Hill and Mary A. Hill (John Anderson); son Thomas E. Hill, Jr. (Robin Hill); four grandchildren, Thomas Hill, David Porter, Noelle Parker, Kenneth Hill; and five great-grandchildren, Nathaniel Porter, Austin Parker, Nicholas Porter, Kelsey Parker, and Dylan Parker.

 Samuel Middleton Hines ’34 of Alexandria, Va., died March 11, 2006. Survivors include two sons, Samuel M. Hines, Jr. ’68, 2457 Sylvan Shores Dr., Charleston, S.C. 29414, and John C. Hines ’74, 3309 Alabama Ave., Alexandria, Va. 22305; and a granddaughter, Catherine Hines-McCormick ’94, 1894 Julian Dr., Charleston, S.C. 29407.

Daniel Jonathan Stowe ’35, of Charlotte, N.C., died July 24, 2006. He was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Belmont and served on the building committee for the present church building. He graduated from Belmont Abbey Junior College in 1932 and Davidson in 1935. In 1936, he began work with his father and brother in the yarn business. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942. He commanded a patrol boat based in Jacksonville, Fla., and later was promoted to naval operations in Charleston, S.C., and Washington, D.C. In 1939, he pursued a new opportunity in partnership with his father, Robert Lee Stowe, and his brother-in-law, William James Pharr. The Depression, river floods and neglect left the former McAden Mills in McAdenville closed and bankrupt. These new partners renamed the company Stowe Mills and went about building one of North Carolina's largest and most successful companies. Continuing to grow and pursuing new opportunities with synthetic yarns, Pharr Yarns, Inc. was created in 1950. Dan Stowe retired at the age of 77. Following retirement, his primary focus was the creation of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. He took an active interest in the master plan and the organizational work that made the garden a reality. He was assisted in this by his wife, Alene, William L. Steele, who became the first executive director and others such as Ann Crammond, director of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and William Lee, chairman of Duke Power Company. He donated the prime land where the garden is situated. Dan Stowe was the recipient of numerous awards including an honorary doctorate from Belmont Abbey College in 1994, the Order of the Longleaf Pine, and the Sims Award. Survivors include his wife, Alene Nobles, 176 Lower Armstrong Ford Rd., Belmont, N.C. 28012. His extended family includes three nephews, Robert Lee Stowe III ’76, Daniel Harding Stowe and Richmond Harding Stowe; one niece, Catherine Ann Pharr Carstarphen; one stepdaughter, Sheryl Buck Boone; one stepson, Stephen Thomas Buck; thirteen grand nieces and nephews, three step granddaughters, and one step grandson.

 The Rev. Roger P. Melton ’37 of Fort Gaines, Ga., died March 15, 2006. He was a retired Presbyterian minister and had served churches in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Arkansas. After retirement, he served the Fort Gaines and Cuba churches. He was an Army chaplain during World War II, serving in the South Pacific. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Alice Caldwell Melton and a daughter, Margaret Barnes. Survivors include his second wife, Waver Jones Melton, 245 Mt. Calvary Church Rd., Fort Gaines, Ga. 39851; two sons, Robert P. Melton, Jr. and Lawrence Melton; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and four stepchildren.

James Young Wilson, Sr. ’38, a Lake City business leader, World War II veteran, and prominent volunteer who helped found what later became Lake City Community College, died July 17, 2006. After receiving degrees from Davidson College and the University of Florida, College of Laws, he entered the Army in 1941. When he returned from service in 1946 as a major, Mr. Wilson had received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and a Purple Heart. In Lake City, he became the chief executive officer of his father’s life insurance company, Wilson National Life, a position he held until 1974. He also was a member of the Florida Council of 100, a business advisory group to the governor. In 1947 he reorganized the Lake City National Guard company and became Florida department commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was elected state representative for Columbia County, a turn of fate that led him to meet his wife, Olema Oliver Wilson, on the Capitol steps. That same year marked his involvement in the founding of Lake City Forest Ranger School, one of the first schools to train rangers in the nation. He was a founding trustee, and he continued to serve as trustee when the institution became Lake City Community College in 1962. He also supported the college as director of Lake City Community College Foundation for 30 years. He also served as deacon and elder of First Presbyterian Church. He was chairman of the 125th anniversary committee and headed the building committee for the fellowship hall. Survivors include his wife, Olema O. Wilson, P.O. Box 1445, Lake City, Fla. 32056-1445; three children, Penny Wilson-Weber of Gainesville, Fla., James Young Wilson, Jr. of Billings, Mont., and Pattie Dale Wilson Tye of Houston; and two grandchildren.

Parks Wilson Hand, Sr. ’39 died March 15, 2006, in Chapel Hill, N.C. He graduated from Davidson cum laude, where he played football and baseball. His career included pharmaceutical sales and civil service. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church and was a longtime member of Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Ga., and Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Snellville. He was a veteran of World War II and was a retired major from the Army Reserve. He loved Bible study, books, travel, coaching Little League, and all nature. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty-seven years, Frances Elizabeth Hughes and their oldest daughter, Jean, in 1997. Survivors include three daughters, Anna Boscacci of Mariposa, Calif.; Roberta Hand Brown, 101 Sturbridge Ln., Chapel Hill, N.C. 27516; and Karen Hand Blake ’77 of Conyers, Ga.; one son, Parks W. Hand, Jr. ’75 of Locust Grove, Ga.; grandchildren, Mary Elizabeth Anderson-Haley, Scott Brown, Holland Brown Omar, Robert Brown, Katie Blake, Whitney Blake, Joel Blake, Parks W. Hand III; one great grandchild Gavin White of Conyers, Ga., and nieces and nephews.

 James Dwight “J.D.” Hicks ’39 of Gastonia, N.C., died July 5, 2006. He was a member of Myers Memorial Methodist Church, and was also the executive director for the Gaston County YMCA. Survivors include his wife, Arzelia C. Hicks, 2300 Aberdeen Blvd., Apt. 83, Gastonia, N.C. 28054; sons, Todd Hicks and wife Ann of Mooresville, N.C., and Dwight Hicks and wife Leslie of Portland, Ore.; nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Frances Todd Hicks, five brothers, and three sisters.

 Karl G. Hudson Jr. ’40 and former Davidson trustee, a longtime Raleigh business and civic leader who ran the Triangle's Hudson Belk department stores, died June 2, 2006. Until his retirement in 1990, he was a familiar sight to customers on the department store floors as executive vice president of Hudson Belk Co. He began the long association with his family business at age 15, selling menswear in the downtown Raleigh store that his father, Karl Hudson Sr., started in 1915. He left the store during World War II to serve in the U.S. Army. After the war, he took over for his father and guided Hudson Belk's expansion into the suburbs in the 1960s and to Crabtree Valley Mall in 1972. He served as president of the Raleigh Merchants Bureau, the United Way, the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and the United Arts Fund. He was a board member of Wachovia Bank, Carolina Power and Light, and the Durham Life Insurance Co.; a trustee of nonprofit groups such as Red Hospital, Union Theological Seminary, and Davidson College. He was a champion of downtown Raleigh business even as it declined through the 1970s and 1980s. The Martin Street store was the hub for downtown, noted for its fashion shows on the street and the long lines of folks who loved its cafeteria. The downtown store closed in 1995, after he had retired. Hudson often could be seen working the sales floor, greeting customers and selecting merchandise himself. Survivors include his wife of fifty-four years, Catherine Wyatt Hudson, 5303 Creedmoor Rd., Apt. 101, Raleigh, N.C. 27612; a daughter, Catherine Hudson Godwin; and two sons, Karl G. Hudson III and Richard Wyatt Hudson; and numerous grandchildren.

Wallace B. Scherer '40 of Lake Worth, Fl. died June 22, 2006. At Davidson he played violin in the orchestra and produced a painting entitled, “A Davidsonian's Dream” that was displayed on campus for many years. After graduating from Davidson he served in the Army Air Corps, then received a master's in psychology from Duke. He was a professor at Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, then at Richmond Professional Institute (now VCU) in Virginia. In 1952, he founded Psychological Instruments Company, which made equipment for psychology classrooms and laboratories. In Richmond, he was a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church and enjoyed singing in the choir until he retired in 1979 and moved to Florida. After retirement he continued to be involved in numerous projects including designing and building his own house, working on a human powered helicopter, inventing a game called Homonymbles, and developing a system to help deaf people to sing. Survivors include his wife of sixty-three years, Sara D. Scherer, 5020 Canal Drive, Lake Worth, Fla., 33463; younger brother Michael S. Scherer, son Wallace T. Scherer, daughter Sara Ashauer, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

F. Harding Sugg, Sr. ’40 of Greenville, N.C., died July 1, 2006. He attended E.C.T.C. and Davidson and graduated from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. He served in World War II in the U.S. Naval Reserve Service Force Atlantic fleet and aboard the U.S.S. Melville and A.D.2 in the European Theatre. He served as president of the Greenville Tobacco Warehouse Association, East Carolina Tobacco Warehouse Association, Bright Belt Warehouse Association, and also Greenville Tobacco Board of Trade. He owned and operated tobacco warehouses in Greenville, N.C., and Statesboro, Ga. He was president of the Greenville Rotary Club, also serving on the city school board, as Chairman of the Pitt County Jury Commission, and other commissions for Pitt County Clerk of Court. He was preceded in death by his wife of fifty-nine years, Abba Velle Bouyd Sugg; and two brothers, Harold G. Sugg ’37 and Benjamin B. Sugg, Jr. ’33. Survivors include daughters, Anne Bennett Sugg Stroud and husband, Eddie, of Lilburn, Ga.; Lillian Gray Sugg Lowry and husband, Ray, of Beaverdam, Va.; The Rev. Dr. Mary Boyd Sugg Click and husband, Rev. S. Jack Click, of Springfield, Va.; and son Fordyce Harding Sugg, Jr. and wife Pat, 3301 Tucker Dr., Greenville, N.C. 27858; eight grand children; and three great-grandchildren;

Edward Tarry “Bits” Watkins ’40 of Houston, Texas, died July 25, 2006. At Davidson, he played football and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. After graduation he joined the Army Air Corps and moved to Texas, serving as a bombardier flight instructor at Brooks Field in San Antonio and the San Angelo Air Base. In addition, he worked with Minneapolis Honeywell to couple the Norton Bombsite to the B-17 autopilot. As a lieutenant colonel, he retired from active duty in 1949. He moved to Houston, where he worked for Merrill Lynch before founding his own brokerage and investment advisory firm, Watkins & Company, Inc. For many years he was active in the Stock and Bond Club of Houston and the University Rotary Club. Most recently, he supported the Embassy Square Foundation in its development of a 40,000-square-foot library and learning facility in his hometown of Henderson, N.C. Additionally, with his friend Thomas Phan, he helped establish a technical school for underprivileged children in Kun-Ming, China. Survivors include his dear friend, Louise West; sons, David Woodward Watkins and Charles Tips Watkins; three grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; his former wife and mother to his children, Hazel Tips John; and daughter-in-law, Jari Watkins. He was preceded in death by his son Edward Tarry Watkins, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Rebecca Beeley Watkins; and his five older siblings.

Otho Albea Dearman, Jr. ’41 of Statesville, N.C., died March 31, 2006. Survivors include his wife of sixty-one years, Thelma Brown Dearman, 706 Hedrick Dr., Statesville, N.C. 28677.

Dr. Milton Stevenson “Steve” Thurston ’42 of Salisbury, died July 1, 2006. After graduation from Davidson, he earned his D.D.S. from Emory University in 1950. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and received his pilot training at Craig Field, Ala. He flew C-47 planes in the Far East Air Service Command and was discharged with the rank of major in 1946. He practiced dentistry in Salisbury from 1950 until his retirement. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, where he had served as an elder of the church. He was active in the Central N.C. Council of Boy Scouts of America and served on its executive board. He received the distinguished Silver Beaver Award in 1968 and received the James E. West Fellowship award, the highest honor a Boy Scout volunteer can receive. He also served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board for eight years and the Rowan County Board of Health. He was a past president of the Salisbury Rotary Club and had been a member since 1950. He received the first Senior Citizen of the Year Award of the Salisbury Rotary Club and also received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award. After his retirement, he worked with the Rotary International 3-H Dentistry Program in Hong Kong. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia Foster Thurston, who died October 3, 1981. Survivors include his wife, Linda McConnell Thurston, 637 Mahaley Ave., Salisbury, N.C. 28144, whom he married in 1982; two daughters, Lee Shugrue of Chapel Hill and Jenna Nash of Concord; a son, Asa Stevenson Thurston of Salisbury; two stepdaughters, Carrie Taylor and husband Eric of Cary, Disa Herring and husband Billy of Vilas; eight grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and two sisters, Lucy Lowe of Greensboro and Geit Johnson of Statesville.

John R. Maness ’45 died Dec. 26, 2005. He was called into the ASTP program in 1943; later into the Infantry where he fought with the 78th Infantry Division where he fought across Belgium and Germany. He graduated from UNC–Chapel Hill in 1947 after a long hospitalization with frozen feet. He was president and CEO of his family business, Dixie Bedding Company, of which the Serta Mattress Co., was a division with plants in Greensboro, Augusta, Ga., Omaha, Nebraska, and Clear Lake, Iowa. He was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro. He served on the Serta National Board for over fifteen years and on many civic and philanthropic boards. He sold his company in 1990. He shared his love of golf with many friends and family and enjoyed his retirement in Greensboro, South Carolina, and Florida. He is survived by his wife Carolyn J. Maness, 4401 Woodsage Dr., Greensboro, N.C. 27410; two daughters, Mrs. Henry A. Dudley, Jr. of Chevy Chase, Md., and Miss Carolyn C. Maness of Raleigh, N.C.; his son-in-law Henry C. Dudley Jr.; and two grandchildren, Carolyn Dudley and Henry a. Dudley III.

Robert Penick Whaling ’45, died July 22, 2006, at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He lived his entire life in Winston-Salem. He graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1940. He received a postgraduate degree from McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1941. He attended Davidson College before serving in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II. After the war, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1948 with a B.A. in economics. While at Chapel Hill, Bob was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and played on the UNC golf team. Bob began his business career with P.H. Hanes Knitting Co., traveling the New England states and Canada. He then went to work for the Armrey Co., sponsor of the Armfield Plan, as a sales manager, and later became its president. He joined Pilot Insurance Agency in 1953 and became the senior managing partner in 1980. The agency was sold to Aon Risk Services in 1986, and he was chairman of the board until his retirement in 1991. Bob served as president of the Winston-Salem Association of Insurance Agents, and served three terms as a state director of the North Carolina Associates of Insurance Agents. He received the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation in 1961 and the Agent of the Year award in 1989. He served several terms on the board of the Chinqua-Penn Foundation and was a lifelong member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He won the Forsyth Country Club Golf Championship in 1965. He worked with the Forsyth County Public Library, Boy Scouts, YMCA, Goodwill Industries, and others to locate and identify old photographs. He compiled a collection of pictures that are on display in many of these organizations. Survivors include his wife of fifty-four years, Mary Lu Wright Whaling, 18 Graylyn Place Ln., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27106; and their three children, a daughter, Cassandra Whaling Wierman, and son-in-law Mark Steven Wierman of Davidson; two sons, Robert Penick Whaling Jr. ’74 and daughter-in-law Betsy Butcher Whaling and Forrest Alexander Whaling and daughter-in-law Cynthia Thomas Whaling of Winston-Salem; six grandchildren, Mary Penn Whaling, John Alexander Whaling, Forrest Alexander Whaling Jr., Catherine Mathias Whaling, Robert Thomas Whaling and Austin Wright Whaling; a sister, Ann Whaling Long, of Nashville, Tenn.

Lee B. Brown ’46 of Phoenix, Ariz., a former chief of staff at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, died in December 1994. He served as chief of the medical center from 1973 to 1975. He was known for his early work in open-heart surgery. He retired from Good Samaritan in 1988. He received his cardiac and thoracic surgery training at the University of Virginia. He was a 1948 graduate of Yale Medical Center. Survivors include his wife, Kathryn J.F. Brown, 4515 N. Royal Palm Ctr., Phoenix, Ariz. 85018.

Dr. Nathaniel Garrison, Sr. ’46 of Elon College, N.C., died June 17, 2006, while vacationing at Cherry Grove Beach. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving during World War II. He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and served in the Pacific Theatre. He returned to Burlington as co-owner of Mast Garrison Insurance with his brother, Staley, for eight years. He obtained degrees in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1959, he graduated from UNC School of Dentistry and practiced dentistry in Burlington until he retired in 1994. He was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Burlington, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. Survivors include his wife of sixty-one years, Jane Foushee Garrison, 6 Poplar St., Elon College, N.C. 27244; four sons, Nathaniel Garrison, Jr., Gary R. Garrison, Frank E. Garrison, and P. Michael Garrison; a daughter, Janat Scharmm; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, Staley F. Garrison, Jr. ’44.

Charles DeLaney ‘47, an internationally renowned flute teacher and Florida State University music professor emeritus, died July 8, 2006. He taught at FSU from 1976 until his retirement in 2000. Before that, he spent twenty-five years as a flute professor at the University of Illinois. He was also a composer and performer who spent many years as the principal flutist of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. He helped found the Florida Flute Society and served as president of the National Flute Society, which honored him in 1998 with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned degrees from Davidson, Colorado University, and the Conservatory of Lausanne (Switzerland). He spent sixteen summers as flutist and conductor at the Brevard (N.C.) Music Center. He published several flute compositions and composed two film scores. He recorded albums of contest flute pieces that were used by students nationwide to prepare for competitions. As a young musician, he sneaked into a closed rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, where he wound up comparing notes with another young intruder, future conductor Leonard Bernstein. He was friends with Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer, the first woman appointed to a major symphony orchestra. A member of the Army Signal Corps, he landed in Europe the day World War II ended—because, as he learned later, he'd been repeatedly moved to the end of the transfer lists by his former music teacher, who worked as an Army clerk. Survivors include his wife, Sue Delaney, 914 Ivanhoe Road, Tallahassee, Fla. 32312; two sons and a daughter.

Robert E. Cline ’48 of Hickory, died July 12, 2006, from complications of pneumonia. He was a veteran of World War II. As a businessman, he served as president of Southern Elastic Corporation and J.A. Cline & Son, Burke County's oldest hosiery mill. He served on the boards of First National Bank of Catawba County, Bank of Granite, Frye Regional Medical Center, First Security Co. and Ridgeview Mills of Newton. He also was a fifty-year Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. He was deeply involved with the Hickory Museum of Art, Catawba Science Center, Catawba Arts Council, Sipe's Orchard Home, CPCC, Western Piedmont Symphony, N.C. Symphony, N.C. Dance Theatre, Hickory Soup Kitchen, the Salvation Army, Hickory Community Theatre, United Way, March of Dimes, North State Academy, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and, most recently, The Montessori Children's House of Newton. Survivors include his daughter, Mary Helen Cline, 419 West 6th St., Hickory, N.C., 28658; a son, Robert Eugene Cline, Jr. of Charlotte; and two sisters, Nancy C. Shuford of Hickory and Martha C. Cobb of Hay Market, Va. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marion Gaither Cline of Hickory.

Dr John Angus Wheliss ’48 of Raleigh, died July 7, 2006 of complications following surgery and an ensuing stroke. His Davidson education was interrupted by WW II service in Europe, where he served in the 7th Army, 3rd Division, 30th Infantry, 1st Battalion, Hq Company. After being discharged, he returned to Davidson, graduating in 1948. He then entered Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he received his doctor of medicine degree. He interned at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in Charlotte and served a rotating residency at Bluefield Sanitarium in Bluefield, W.Va. From there he went to Rockingham for several years of general practice. In 1957 he went to Duke University Medical Center for his residency in ophthalmology. He came to Raleigh in 1961 where he established his practice, which he continued for forty years. Most of his surgery was performed at Rex Hospital. He took great joy with his dogs throughout his life. Survivors include his wife of fifty-six years, Barbara Brown Wheliss, 1416 Springmoor Cir., Raleigh, N.C 27615.; sons, John A Wheliss, Jr. and Charles R. Wheliss, both of Raleigh; a granddaughter, Ann Marguerite Wheliss, also of Raleigh; brother, Joseph D. Wheliss ’55 of Southern Pines; a beloved cousin, Ms. Julia Marshall Ratliff of Rockingham; niece, Victoria Couse and nephew, William Boswell, both of Georgia; niece, Sarah Wheliss ’89 of Greensboro; nephew, Josh Wheliss ’91 of Nashville, Tenn.

Dr. George Washington Cheek, Jr. ’49 of Burlington, N.C. died June 12, 2006.  A memorial service was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Scott R. Woodmansee ’59 at the Rich and Thompson Chapel in Burlington. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving during World War II. He was a graduate of Davidson and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He served his residency in Ann Arbor, Mich., and was a retired surgeon. Survivors include his wife, Janette Dierking Cheek, 317 Engleman Ave., Burlington, N.C. 27215; four daughters, Julianna Cheek Woodmansee ’84 and husband, John ’86 of Durham, Carin Stanley Cheek of Frankfort, Ky., Adrienne Cheek ’86 and husband, Brett Pulliam of Durham, and Amy Lynne Cheek ’88 and husband, Chris Naples of Stratford, Conn.; and four grandchildren, Michaela Cheek Woodmansee, Arlo Cheek Woodmansee, Scarlett Beatrice Naples, and Isidora Clementine Naples.

Thomas Conner Clark ’49, of Yadkinville, N.C., passed away June 23, 2006. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as a combat medic in the Korean War. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a graduate of Davidson with a degree in biology and chemistry. He worked in pharmaceutical sales with Mead-Johnson Laboratories, Merck, Sharpe, and Dohme Pharmaceuticals and retired from O'Hanlon-Watson Wholesale Drug in Winston-Salem. He was an expert in wildflowers and shrubs, and after his retirement he began his love and hobby of propagating rare North Carolina native plants at his nursery, Fern Valley Farms. For forty-five years, Mr. Clark was a faithful member of Reynolda Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Sunday school teacher and an elder. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Sara Alice Gault; and two brothers, DeWitt Duncan Clark Jr. ’49 and Robert C. Clark Sr. Survivors include his beloved wife of fifty years, Millie Green Clark, 1624 Fern Valley Rd., Yadkinville, N.C. 27055; his son, Thomas Christopher Clark, and wife Martha of Winston-Salem; grandchildren Lauren, Caroline, and Abigail; daughter Kim Clark Phillips and husband Keith of Yadkinville; grandchildren Leslie, Amy, and Will; son Michael Wood Clark and wife Debbie of Mebane; grandchildren Jonathan, Duncan and Jordan; son Theodore G. Clark and wife Becky of Yadkinville, grandchildren Ryan, Alan, Bradley and Joshua; and a sister, Trudie Clark Evans, of Clarkton.

Columbus Morris Newell ’49 of Charlotte, N.C., died May 24, 2006. After a period in the Navy, he graduated from Davidson College in 1949. In 1955, he founded Morris Investment Company, developing family holdings in Union and Mecklenburg counties, growing the business to include properties in both Carolinas. He was a member and past deacon of First Presbyterian Church and also a member of 'Church in Vocation.’ He loved Montreat and served for many years on the Montreat College board. Survivors include his wife of fifty-five years, Mary Bryant Newell, children, Samuel William Newell II, Virginia Eleanor Newell ’78, 3208 Amherst Ave., Columbia, S.C. 29205; and Leila Newell Erwin and her husband, Walter Clark Erwin, Jr.; grandchildren, Walter Clark Erwin, Margaret Morris Newell Erwin, Mary Leila Erwin and Virginia Helen Erwin, all of Morganton, N.C. He was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Samuel William Newell ’39 of Richmond, Va., and his sister, Scott Newell Newton of Atlanta, Ga. Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Trade St., Charlotte, N.C. 28202 or to Davidson College, Box 7171, Davidson, N.C. 28035-7171 for the S.W. Newell Book Fund or the golf team

Charles Lewis Price ’49 died June 8, 2006. He served in the United States Marine Corps as a pilot in World War II and again in the Reserves in the Korean War in 1953, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. After graduation from Davidson, he earned a master’s in 1951 and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, concentrating his studies on the South during Reconstruction. His dissertation was directed by noted historian Fletcher Green. In 1956, he taught history at West Georgia College. In 1957, he began a career as a professor in the history department at East Carolina University, where he served until his retirement in 1983. He served as a member of the Historical Society of North Carolina, the Southern Historical Association, and the Organization of American Historians. H was involved in the creation of the Historians of Eastern North Carolina and he helped create the graduate program of the ECU Department of History, directing many Ph.D. candidates in their thesis work. He was instrumental in the creation of the manuscript collection at Joyner Library at ECU. A member of First Presbyterian Church since 1958, he served as an elder and was a member of the Harvey-Webb Sunday School Class, often as the teacher. He also served on the Building Committee and played on the softball team. Survivors include his wife, Doris Youngblood Price, whom he married in 1947, 1114 Ragsdale Rd., Greenville, N.C. 27858, daughters, Annette Price of Durham and Kathy Price Williams of Medford, Mass.; and grandchildren, Brett Douglas Williams of Burlington, Vt., and Laura Beth Williams of Medford, Mass.

Robert Edward Long ’50 of Greenville, S.C., died June 11, 2006. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va. and The University of the South at Sewanee. He was an Episcopal priest serving Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, N.C., and in the following churches of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina: St. Luke’s, Newberry; St. David’s, Cheraw; St. Simon and St. Jude, Columbia; St. John’s, Winnsboro; Church of the Cross, Columbia; and Christ Church Episcopal, Greenville. Survivors include his wife, Margaret DuPre Long, 2 Hillview Dr, Greenville, S.C. 29615; daughter, Elizabeth Hartge; two grandchildren; brother, Ralph A. Long ’56, and nieces and nephews.

Dr. Robert C. Patten, Sr. ’50 of Daleville, Va., died March 11, 2006. He graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1954, and did an internship at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, Fla. He served two years as a captain in the U.S. Air Force before moving to Virginia. He practiced family medicine in Floyd, and moved to Roanoke in 1963 to join the practice of Boxley Hill Clinic. In 1974 he moved his family to South Korea, where he served as a medical missionary for four years with the Presbyterian Church, U.S. He then attended the University of Iowa where he earned a master of science degree in public health and completed a teaching fellowship in family practice education. Upon returning to Roanoke in 1980, he taught in the Family Practice Residency at Roanoke Memorial Hospital serving as associate director of the Family Practice Residency Program and full professor at the University of Virginia. He retired in 1995. He was a member and elder of New Hope Presbyterian Church. Survivors include his wife of fifty-two years, Joy Blaney Patten, 4214 Roanoke Rd., Daleville, Va. 24083; children, Susan P. Woodie, Kathryn P. Muether, Rebecca P. Dagley, Robert C. Patten, Jr. ’82, of Botetourt County, Va., Elizabeth P. Merian; and twelve grandchildren; and a brother, Arthur H. Patten, Jr.

Isaac Marshall Whisnant ’50 of Oak Ridge, Tenn., passed away on July 22, 2006. He was a member of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. After earning his B.S. in business from Davidson, he did a two-year rotating administrative residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital. His first professional position was as administrator for the new Sea Level Community Hospital, Sea Level, N.C. He first oversaw the construction of this small community hospital and managed it upon its completion. He left that position in 1955 to become the assistant executive director of Holston Valley Community Hospital and Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn. In 1967, he became the president of Methodist Hospital of Oak Ridge, serving until his retirement in 1995. His professional memberships included board of directors for Tennessee Quality Award, Hospital Research and Development Institute; advisory board for Tennessee Center for Labor Management Relations; and Fellow of the American College of Hospital Administrators. He also served fourteen years on the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission. His community memberships include Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Leadership Oak Ridge, United Way Pillars of Society committee, board of directors for American Guild of Organists Knoxville, Tennessee Quality Award Board member, member of Board of Directors Roane State Community College Foundation, member of Board of Directors Tennessee's Resource Valley, member of Oak Ridge Schools Education Foundation, Oak Ridge Traffic Safety Advisory Board member, and Oak Ridge Regional Planning Commission member. Survivors include his wife of fifty-three years, Ashlyn Whisnant, 1039 W. Outer Dr., Oak Ridge, Tenn. 37830; brother, Murray Whisnant of Charlotte; son, David Whisnant and wife, Patricia, of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughters, Meredith Whisnant of Knoxville, Suzie Whisnant and husband, Tommy Daugherty, of Oak Ridge; and grandchildren, Eliza, Cyrus, Laurie Lee and David Daugherty, and Jessica and Alicia Hudson.

Charles William “Bill” Buckey ’52, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., and a longtime resident of of Mobile, Ala., died June 17, 2006. He was a longtime employee of Hackbarth Delivery Service. He earned a B.D. from Duke University and served in the U.S.M.C. during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles Gordon Buckey, Jr. and Richard Daniel Buckey ’57. Survivors include his cousins, Richard M. Rector of Marietta, Ga., and Holley Rector Evans of Dallas, Texas.

Dr. I. Slaydon Myers ’52 of Martinsville, Va., died June 10, 2006. Following graduation from Davidson, he earned his D.D.S. from the Medical College of Virginia. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Moving to Martinsville, he practiced dentistry for thirty-eight years specializing in cosmetic dentistry. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church, Martinsville, where he served in many capacities such as Sunday school teacher, lay preacher, board member and choir member. He was co-founder and board president of Team Ministries, an international Christian mission. For over thirty-eight years he hosted a weekly Bible study in his home. He was also an associate member of Kernersville Moravian Church, Kernersville, N.C. He was an active Jaycee and served as president of the Kiwanis Club. He was the top fund raiser for several years for the Relay for Life of the American Cancer Society. Survivors include his dedicated wife and long-time caregiver, Marian 1229 Knollwood Place, Martinsville, Va. 24112; a son, Jefferson Slaydon Myers of Darien, Conn., and a daughter, Dr. Emilie Myers Storch of Greensboro, N.C.; and six grandchildren.

The Rev. Dr. George M. Walker ’53 of Meherrin, Va., died March 17, 2006. He earned his master of divinity degree at Princeton and doctor of ministry from Austin Theological Seminary. He began his career in 1956 by serving as chaplain to the workers for Peter Kiewit & Co. while Thule Air Force Base was being built in Greenland. He served churches in Austin and Albany, Texas, Casper Wyo., Tacoma, Wash., and Bethlehem and Douglas Presbyterian Churches in the Abilene-Throckmorton, area from 1993 to 1997. After retirement, he continued to serve as stated supply for Drakes Branch Presbyterian Church, Herman PC in Saxe, Cumberland PC, Wyllesburg and Chase City churches. He served on various key committees of Presbytery while at Texas, Wyoming, and Washington He also served on the board for three Presbyterian Retirement Homes in Washington and was president of the board upon his retirement. He founded an organization in 1991 named Shared Housing Services in Tacoma, Wash., and was pleased to see it become a success over the past fifteen years. His survivors include his wife of thirty-four years, Ruth F. Walker, 2260 New Bethel Rd., Meherrin, Va., 23954-2810; a son George W. “Bill” Walker (Sandra); three daughters, Kathy A. Walker (Mike Braught), Vicki R. Walker (Matt Pollock), and Kerri E. Walker; and grandchildren, George and Alexis Walker, Hannah Elizabeth and Sarah Grace Braught.

Ross Jordan Smyth ’58 of Charlotte, died July 26, 2006. Ross moved with his family to Charlotte in 1950, while he was a student at Christ School in Arden. At Davidson he served as captain of the soccer team and president of the student body, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1958. After a brief stint in the Army and at North Carolina National Bank in Charlotte, he attended Duke Law School, where he was a Casenote Editor of the Duke Law Journal. Upon graduation in 1965, he joined the Charlotte law firm of Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell, and Hickman, where he practiced until his retirement in 1998. He served as president of Charlotte Junior Soccer, the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center, the March of Dimes, and the Family Center. A dedicated alumnus, he was the president of both Davidson's National Alumni Association and the Duke Law School Alumni Association, served on the board of trustees at Davidson, and was president of the board of trustees at Christ School. In addition, he was awarded Davidson’s Alumni Service Award in 1983. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Survivors include his his wife, Alice Allen Jordan, 2631 Beverwyck Rd., Charlotte, N.C. 28211; his three children, Jordan, Elliot, and Henry; his six grandchildren; and his brothers, Eli and James McGregor “Mac” Smyth ’63.

Robert M. Gill ’62 of Winston-Salem, N.C., died July 19, 2003

Joseph Bacon Martin, III ’62 died July 1, 2006, at home at Lake Norman. Joe was born in Winnsboro, S.C., and educated at Davidson, University of Minnesota, and Duke University, where he received his Ph.D. in Medieval English. In 1962-63, he was assistant director of admission and financial aid at Davidson. He joined NCNB (Bank of America) in 1973. He left in 1978 to take a position at Queens College as vice president for development and college relations. He returned to the bank five years later as CEO Hugh McColl, Jr.’s right hand man, and became widely known for his advocacy for tolerance and against racial discrimination. He was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church. In 1997, Davidson College awarded him the John W. Kuykendall Community Service Award. Other awards included the Echo Award Against Indifference for promoting racial harmony. In 2005, ImaginOn, the Joe and Joan Martin Center, the uptown children’s library and theatre complex, was opened. In 2006, he was awarded the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Humanitarian Award. Even, and especially, after his diagnosis with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), he continued his call for greater harmony in the human family, through writing and public appearances. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Arthur M. Martin ’25 and Mary G. Martin. Survivors include his wife, Joan Werness Martin, Charlotte, N.C. formerly of Minneapolis, Minn., and by their three children, Joe B. Martin ’89 and his wife, Jodi Martin; Elizabeth Martin and her husband, Marshall Curry’ and David Martin ’97. Other survivors include his three brothers, Arthur Martin, Jr. ’56 and his wife, Jackie; James Martin ’57 and his wife, Dottie; and Neal Martin ’68 and his wife, Mary; and numerous grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Karl-Heinz Hauer a Fulbright scholar at Davidson in 1963-64, died following an accident on January, 14, 2006. He studied at the University of Munich. Math and phyics were his fields of interest. He was a systems/analyst engineer with E.B.H. GMBH. Survivors include his wife, Karin Hauer; his four children, (Dr. Hilmar Hauer, 17 John Archer Way, Windmill Rd., Wandsworth, England, SW18 2TQ) and two grandchildren.

Erwin Tucker Laxton ’67 of Charlotte, died May 27, 2006. Following graduation he was commissioned in the United States Army and served in Germany. He was an investment broker with JTM Investments. He was also an avid golfer and fisherman. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He was preceded in death by his son, Erwin B. Laxton. He is survived by his sister, Lila L. Brown and her husband, Fred Brown of Charlotte; wife, Susan Coleman Laxton, 2304 Springdale Ave, Charlotte, N.C. 28203; stepson, Brian Allen Coleman; and his two aunts and several cousins.

Archie Graham Davis’68 of Mobile, Ala., died June 15, 2006. He graduated from UNC–Chapel Hill School of Medicine. After completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama–Birmingham, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1975-77. He then practiced internal medicine in Selma until 1986 when he pursued further training in cardiology. He completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of South Alabama in 1988, when he moved his practice to Mobile. During his medical career he participated in many pharmaceutical drug studies as a clinical investigator. Survivors include his wife, Donna Tew Davis, 126 Eaton Square, Mobile, Ala. 36608; one daughter, Ginger Blair Davis; two sisters, Nancy D. Bilbro and Katherine D. Perkins; three brothers, Dr. John Woodrow Davis, Jr. ’66, James Hassell Davis ’76, and Roger P. Davis; and his parents, Lucy and John W. ’41 Davis,

Christopher U. Leach ’90 of Blacksburg, Va., died May 6, 2006, in Denver, Colo. Survivors include his parents, Nancy and H.U. “Woody” ’51 Leach of 1416 Crestview Dr, Blacksburg, Va. 24060; his sisters, Sherill Leach Dowdy, Susan Leach Borenstein, nieces and nephews.