From left to right, Lois Underwood Beach, Paul Conn and Judy Markham. Click to enlarge.
Lee University honored its newest alumni of the year at this weekend’s Homecoming festivities. At a luncheon Saturday in the DeVos Recreation Center, Lee president Paul Conn named Judy Markham Pittman the 2006 Distinguished Alumna of the Year and Lois Underwood Beach the 2006 Honorary Alumna of the Year.
Distinguished Alumna of the Year Judy Markham Pittman is the former Chief Judge and the current Family Law Administrative Circuit Judge for Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit in Panama City, Florida.
She has served on the bench since 1985, with prior professional service as an Assistant State Attorney. Judge Pittman also serves on the Florida Trial Court Budget Commission, the Florida Supreme Court Interpreters Commission and the Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Judge Pittman was born in Lake City, Fla., and, except for her studies at Lee, has lived in Florida all of her life. After graduating from Lee with a major in history, she received her J.D. degree from the University of Florida. She then went to work as a prosecutor in Panama City Florida, until her election to the bench in 1985.
Judge Pittman is a member of the 1st Assembly of God in Panama City, Fla. She has two grown daughters: one a doctor of psychology, the other a C.P.A.
Honorary Alumna of the Year Dr. Lois Underwood Beach was the second of twelve children born to Reverend and Mrs. J. L. Underwood. Her father was a minister in the Church of God.
Dr. Beach graduated from Bonne Terre High School in Bonne Terre, Mo. in 1940. She attended three colleges in three different states (Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee), before receiving the B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1944 and the Master’s degree four years later.
Dr. Beach was hired at Bible Training School (later to become Lee College) in 1944 by then-president Zeno C. Tharp. She went on to teach during the tenure of 13 presidents at B.T.S./Lee College/Lee University.
In 1959, Charles and Lois Beach were both honored by having the Lee College Annual, the Vindagua, dedicated to them. In 1965, Lois Beach became the first female at Lee College to be appointed Chairperson of the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
In 1968, she was voted “Teacher of the Year” by the student body. In 1976 she received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 1981, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science degree at the graduation ceremony.
In 1988, Lee’s science building was named the Lois Underwood Beach Science Building, honoring Lee’s longest-term faculty member. In 1993 she was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, and in 1999 she fully retired.