The ol’ Rah Rah college spirit was alive Wednesday afternoon as members of the Central Michigan University Alumni and Friends Club in The Villages, some garbed in their maroon and gold school colors, hosted their 5th annual golf outing and dinner on Wednesday. The afternoon began with a golf scramble at The Links @ Spruce Creek, in which 60 people participated.
The Villages has a growing number of CMU graduates, who have fond memories and great friendships dating back to their time with the Chippewas. Although their basketball team was bested in the National Invitation Tourney this week, they felt great pride to have their alma mater’s 14th and current president, Dr. George E. Ross, and his wife, Elizabeth, visit central Florida to address the group.
Originally from Mississippi, Central Michigan University president, Dr. George E. Ross, who is beginning his sixth year in that role, had previously been vice president at CMU for five years, and returned to the school. A practicing CPA for quite a few years, he graduated from Alcorn State University in Lomar, Mississippi. He had no idea when he was growing up he would one day lead one of the largest universities in the country.
Dr. Ross came from a very large family — eight brothers and three sisters — and was the first of his siblings to graduate high school and the first to go on to college.
“Our parents put a high level of importance on education, and wanted everyone in the family to do what I did. Several teachers helped, and the hard work and perseverance paid off,” he said.
The Rosses have visited The Villages several times before, and were invited to stay at the home of Bill and Eileen Rush. He welcomed alumni from the class of 1955 through the class of 2004. Some of the older alumni referred jovially to the most recent graduates as “the kiddie section.”
Ross spoke proudly about the largest capital project in the 122 year history of CMU — a new 169,000 square foot Bioscience Center being built on campus at a cost of $95 million. A major task for the new school will be the mapping of the wetlands surrounding the Great Lakes. “The project will generate thousands of jobs and be instrumental in improving the sustainability of the area’s ecosystem. The area generates $7.5 billion annually in recreational revenue and shipping,” Dr. Ross said.
“When the new Medical School was first planned, we wondered if it would attract enough interest,” Dr. Ross continued. The inaugural class is now entering their third year — which is their clinical rotations. We were very pleased to have had 4,603 applications for the 104 seats at that facility.”
Renovations are taking place at some of CMUs oldest buildings, one of which dates back to 1913, before there were many automobiles on campus.
“We’re modernizing the facilities and re-orienting the access now to accommodate cars,” Ross smiled. “A Courtyard by Marriott is also being constructed at the school, to the East side of Kelly-Short stadium. It will open in sixteen months, and will be ready for the 2016 football season. They are leasing the land from us and it will be a positive revenue stream.”
Bob Janson lauded CMU’s first lady, Elizabeth Ross, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s march over the bridge in Selma, Alabama.
“At that time,” Dr. Ross reported, “very few black people were landowners in Alabama. Elizabeth’s family owned a farm, but most other blacks were sharecroppers.” The activists marched for 54 miles, and there were three camp sites along the route. “When my wife was only 13, her family invited some of the marchers to camp on their land. Her father was adamant, saying: ‘I own this land, and I can do with it what I please.'” There were threats, and the Alabama National Guard were there to protect the family — and they stayed for several months.
Director of Development and Planned/Major Gifts, Jennifer Cotter, played in the tournament, as did Marcie Otteman from CMU’s staff.
“This year, The Villages alumni group exceeded the membership of the Naples group for the first time,” she said. Bob Janson urged members to recruit new CMU alumni as Villages club participants so they don’t forfeit their leadership position vs. Naples next year.
Alumni Dick Cassle grew up in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. and felt very fortunate to have a great university right in his home town. Since high school, Cassle wanted an engineering career — but in 1960, CMU only offered a pre-engineering program. So after 2 1/2 years, he transferred to the University of Michigan to complete his engineering studies. He and his wife, Sue, who married while at CMU, lived in ‘married housing’ on campus. “We still have fond memories of rolling pennies and managing our finances on 3×5 cards in a cigar box,” Cassle said. The Cassles are snowbirds, wintering in Largo Village.
After attending Detroit Business Institute and Jackson Business Institute, alumni Jerry Hallman, received his degree. in education from CMU in 1967. He retired as the school’s director of information technology after 38 years. To explain CMU’s growth, Hallman was their third I.T. employee. When he retired in 2005, the department had nearly 100 employees. His wife, Joan, also retired from CMU as a buyer in purchasing, after a 25 year career. They have been Villages snowbirds since 2007.
Villagers Bob and Cathie Janson, both CMU graduates, have extremely positive memories of Mt. Pleasant and their school. Bob played baseball and received his business education degree in 1962. He returned to Mt. Pleasant in 1981 as superintendent of schools and remained there until moving to the Villages in 2008.
Dick Runchey transferred to CMU from Alma College and graduated in 1972 with a degree in education. “Even today, I tell people my time at CMU was the best eight years of my life,” he said. “The people I met were and still are some of my best friends.” The Runcheys have lived part time in the Villages since 2006, and Dick made a remarkable recovery from a stroke earlier this year.
Alumni Rich St. Andre came to CMU in the fall of 1971 straight from graduate school at Ohio State. He wore several hats at CMU: professor of mathematics, then computer science, then chairman of the computer science department — moving up to assistant dean of the college of science and technology. He twice held the post of interim dean before retiring in 2008.
Rich and Karen St. Andres first bought in The Villages in 2002, and moved here full time in 2009 to the Haciendas at Mission Hills.
“CMU is a very special place,” St. Andre recalls. “The chance to provide opportunities for students to learn and grow was priceless. One of the most gratifying things freshmen would say after a few weeks at CMU was: ‘it feels like home.'”
Located in Mt. Pleasant since 1892, CMU is the fourth largest public university in Michigan and among the one hundred largest schools in the nation. It began as a teaching college and has expanded to serve more than 28,000 students in wide array of disciplines.