Baylor honored 11 individuals at the annual Alumni Awards Banquet on Saturday, as part of the school’s Alumni Weekend festivities. J. Bart Miller '65 received this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award; the Distinguished Service Award went to Mary Kilbride; and David Hannah '75, Kurt Keene '96, and Andrea Shipley Dobbins '99 were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. Faculty members Barry Hall, Ken Brewster, and Dr. John Miller were honored for their dedicated service as faculty members. The late Joe Gawrys, Phil Hibdon, and Ron Stewart, were also honored posthumously for their dedicated service to the school.
J. Bart Miller ‘65 - 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award
J. Bart Miller is a founding principal of Sterling Risk Advisors, an Atlanta-based insurance brokerage firm that focuses on coverage for physicians and surgeons and on surety and insurance coverage for the construction industry. Bart was a four-year boarding student at Baylor. He has served on the school’s Alumni Board, volunteered for the Annual Fund, and has hosted numerous Atlanta-Area events for Baylor. He was a recipient of Baylor’s Distinguished Service Award in 1995. Bart attended the University of Georgia in Athens for two years before transferring to Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health administration from the Robinson School of Business. Prior to founding Sterling Risk Advisors in 2003, Bart was a principal at Johnson & Bryan Insurance in Atlanta. He served as vice president and assistant administrator at Northside Hospital from 1972 to 1988, and he has also been a part-time faculty member at Georgia State University. Bart is a member of the Board of Trustees and an Executive Committee member of the George West Mental Health Foundation–Skyland Trail in Atlanta; he has served since 1990. He was on the Board of Trustees and was an Executive Committee member of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School from 1999-2006 and was named to the school’s Athletic Wall of Fame in 2010. Bart was active in the Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout, Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster for 26 years. In 1978 he received the Boy Scout Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to youth. A member of the University Yacht Club at Lake Sidney Lanier, Bart was Club Commodore from 1986 to 1987. He and his wife, Carol, have three children, John ‘90, Elizabeth ‘93, and Bartley, and five grandchildren.
Mary B. Kilbride - 2010 Distinguished Service Award
Baylor board chair, Zan Guerry ’67, says of current Baylor Trustee Mary Kilbride, “If you give a job to Mary, you know it’s going to get done.” And not just done, but done creatively, efficiently, and thoughtfully. It is impossible to accurately calculate the hours Mary has given to implementing Baylor initiatives since becoming active with the school ten years ago—or to list each program that she has improved with her ideas and involvement. As the head of the Parent Volunteer Committee, Mary was charged with finding volunteers for pre-game tailgates. Not one to stand in the sidelines, she could be seen cheerfully cooking hundreds of hamburgers before heading to the stands to cheer on the team. Recognizing a need, Mary collected and laundered hundreds of used uniforms at home and, with help from volunteer recruits, offered the first of what is now an annual sale of used uniforms. Under her leadership over the past few years, the used uniform sale has already begun to generate modest revenue. Mary has served on the Parent Alliance in various roles for six years; she now heads the group and expanded the organizational structure and added sub-committees to meet the changing needs of the greater school community. Last year she co-chaired the Celebrations Auction, which raised $350,000 for the school’s Annual Fund. In the Chattanooga community, Mary has been active volunteer and board member for numerous organizations, including the 4 Bridges Arts Festival, Creative Discovery Museum, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Bright School, and the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. Mary was among ten area women honored in 2003 as “Women of Distinction” for civic and philanthropic endeavors. Mary and her husband, Bill, are the parents of Sara ’05, Hannah ‘10, and Addie ‘13. Their son, Ben, died the year he was admitted to the Class of 2007.
2010 Baylor Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
W. David Hannah ’75 - David was All-State and All-Southern as a Baylor offensive lineman. He and his teammates took second and first in the state during his varsity years. A gifted athlete, David was also a standout in other sports. At a time when independent and public schools faced each other, he finished third in the state in wrestling, and he competed in shot put and discus for the track team. He received the Ted Nelson Best Athlete Award as a Baylor senior. David’s father, Herb Hannah, and his two older brothers, John and Charley, all played at the University of Alabama, and in the NFL. Although he was wooed by other schools, David became an offensive and defensive lineman for the Crimson Tide under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. A four-year letterman, David helped his team win four SEC championships and two national championships; as a senior he was named All-SEC and Honorable Mention All-America. He also made some key plays in the famous goal-line stand against Penn State on January 1, 1979. David’s accomplishments at Alabama are all the more impressive given that he was plagued by knee injuries throughout his career there. Although it was a tough decision, David chose not to pursue an NFL career because of those injuries. A chicken and cattle farmer in his native Alabama and a former member of the Alabama Board of Agriculture and Industries, David splits his time between his farm and Birmingham. He owns and manages rental properties together with his brothers, is on the Board of Directors of BancorpSouth Bank, is a volunteer offensive line coach at Birmingham’s Briarwood Christian School, and has been active with Habitat for Humanity. David and his wife, Melanie are the parents of two daughters, Heather and Sarah. Their six-year-old son, Bill, died of leukemia in 1997.
Kurt Keene ’96 - Kurt started and lettered in three Baylor sports. In baseball, he was All-City as a junior, and the following year was All-City, Player of the Year, All-State, Gatorade State Player of the Year, and a Babe Ruth All-American. He set records for home runs, RBIs, and runs and was selected for the 1996 Mizuno All-America high school baseball team by Collegiate Baseball. For two seasons, Kurt was the Red Raiders starting quarterback, and as a senior, he was named All-City and earned an All-State Honorable Mention. In a busy senior year, Kurt also led the basketball team in scoring, was named to the All-City second team and made the All-District Tournament team. Baseball is where Kurt made his mark after graduating from Baylor, first at UT, where he was All-SEC shortstop in 1997, and then at the University of Florida, where, in 2000, he was a two-time SEC Player of the Week, All-SEC first baseman, and named to the All-SEC and Regional Tournament teams. He was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays and hit for the cycle on May 16, 2003. Kurt played every position except catcher when he went on to play AA-AAA for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004-05. Kurt works Budweiser of Chattanooga as key accounts manager. He and his wife, Emily Lucas Keene ’96, have two children, Cash, four, and M'Leigh, two.
Andrea Shipley Dobbins ’99 - If anyone defines scholar-athlete, it’s Andrea Shipley Dobbins. In her senior year at Baylor, Ashley co-captained the varsity volleyball team that won the Division II State Championship and made the All-Tournament team. She was named All Tri-State Best of Preps Player of the Year by The Chattanooga Times, and The Free Press placed her on its All-Academic All-Star team and named her Super Team Player of the Year. As a senior, Andrea also co-captained the varsity basketball team, and competed on the varsity track team, tying for second place in the high jump at the Division II State Championship. The Free Press tagged Andrea for its Academic Super Team for both basketball and track, and she was a finalist for the 1999 Scrappy Moore Athlete of the Year. The winner of Baylor’s O.B. Andrews, Alexander Guerry, and Best All-Around Athlete awards, Andrea was also an AP Scholar. She received an academic scholarship to Mercer University, where she continued to earn recognition in the classroom and on the volleyball court. Andrea earned All-Academic Team honors every year at Mercer, and in her senior year, she received the Virginia Williamson Female Athlete of the Year Award. When Andrea graduated summa cum laude from Mercer in 2003, she was named Outstanding Electrical Engineering Student. Since 2005 she has worked for the Department of Defense at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga., where she is a flight director. Andrea has been married to Chad Dobbins for five years.
Dedicated Faculty Service Awards
Barry Hall - The first day of Barry’s 28-year Baylor career was remarkably similar to that of students who were also new to the school. “The most overwhelming thing was going to lunch the first day. The dining hall was packed, and I knew no one. I will forever be indebted to Coach Red Etter, who saw me come in, took me to his table, and talked to me the entire lunch period.” A graduate of Red Bank High School, Barry attended Emory and Henry College and later taught in the public school system for 17 years, receiving the Chattanooga Jaycees’ Outstanding Educator Award. At Baylor he taught Middle School math, a seventh grade science course that featured major units on earth science, and astronomy in the Upper School. He was also a veteran chaperone on the annual seventh grade trip to Disney World. Although Hall will continue teaching part-time as an astronomy instructor, he officially retired from the Middle School in June 2009. “I hate to leave, but at least I will still have daily contact for the next year or two —and I won’t miss the alarm going off at 5:30 a.m.”
Kennard Brewster - A teacher for more forty years, Ken received his undergraduate degree from Emory and Henry College. After a year in business and two years in the Army, Ken joined Bill Cushman, his college roommate, on the Baylor faculty. A history major and math minor in college, Ken started off teaching social studies, then volunteered to teach math when the need arose. In 1969 Ken moved to Webb School in Knoxville, where he taught social studies and algebra and later served as dean of students and then principal of the Middle School. He received a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in 1978 and returned to Baylor in 1983. With the exception of one year as a geography instructor, Ken taught math in the Lower School, serving one year as Lower School dean, until he retired from teaching –the first time—in 2004. Ken coached football throughout his years at Baylor and Webb, and for many years he also coached junior varsity baseball. Even after he retired from teaching, Ken continued to coach, and after the death of math teacher Cathy Bradford in February 2005, he returned to teaching. Ken took over Cathy's spring semester classes and taught for another full year before retiring from the classroom for good in 2006. Ken continued to coach, and he still helps make travel arrangements for the football team. Ken has traveled throughout the US with student groups, for many years leading Baylor's eighth grade trip to Washington, and he is a firm believer in the value of travel for students.
Dr. John Miller - John retired for health reasons last spring after a 36-year Baylor career. John holds a BA from Emory University and a PhD from the University of Georgia. Hired to teach English at Baylor in 1974, John was also a skilled photographer with a strong interest in visual arts. At the time of John’s appointment, Baylor’s art “department” consisted of one theater teacher, the lone music teacher had just left the school, and there was no instruction in band, dance, photography or film. Studio art was taught by the gymnastics coach in the basement of the library. With support from then headmaster, Dr. Herb Barks, Jr. ’51, John developed and led the fine arts department for more than a decade. He was also instrumental in the construction of Baylor’s two arts building. “I feel that by having made art such a visible presence on the campus, I’ve helped people see how important it is.” John and his wife, Cheri, are now enjoying the farm house they built in Rising Fawn, Ga. with retirement in mind. John will use his free time to organize his many photos and slides “to see if there is a book in all that.” He has also written Now, Then, a novel about time and anticipation, for which he will seek a publisher while writing additional works. “I’ll miss the interaction with the students. It has been the thing that kept me here all these years.” said Miller.
Posthumously:
Joe Gawrys - Appointed in 1980, Joe taught English for a number of years before joining the social studies department to teach world religions, sophomore world history, and the popular history of Eastern religions elective. He was honored with an Ireland Chair for Distinguished Teaching in 2009, and also in 2009, the Class of 1999 selected Joe for the Conrow Miller Award, given annually by members of the ten-year reunion class to the faculty member they feel most influenced their Baylor experience. Joe was an eight-time All-American swimmer at Wabash College and the Division III national champion in the 100 backstroke. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Wabash, Joe a post-graduate scholarship from the NCAA and earned his master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard University. A few weeks after his death on January 8, 2010 of brain cancer, Joe was fondly remembered by friends, colleagues, and family members at the Baylor Aquatic Center for a naming ceremony. Lane five was dedicated in memory of Joe prior to the finals of the regional middle school swim meet, an annual event that is now know as “The Joe Gawrys Southeastern Middle School Swimming and Diving Championship.” During his remarks at the lane dedication, Jim Stover, associate head for academic affairs, said of Joe, “... He opened his heart to his students; he was an extraordinary teacher who transformed students’ lives. He opened his heart to his colleagues and friends. He taught us much about how to live and how to die. It is altogether fitting that we dedicate this lane—this liquid space, always changing, ever constant—in memory of our friend and teacher Joe Gawrys."
Phil Hibdon - Phil served as Baylor's athletic equipment manager and dorm faculty member for nearly 22 years. Phil grew up in Louisville and Cincinnati; at Western Hills High School, he played football and was the statistician for the basketball team. After meeting a UTC recruiter, Hibdon became one of two student managers for the Mocs' basketball team. On a work-scholarship program that paid for tuition and books, he attended all practices and games for four years. As a senior, he received the UTC Team Leadership Award—the only time that honor has gone to a manager. At Baylor, Hibdon was in charge of every piece of equipment and every uniform for all Baylor athletic teams, which included purchasing, inventory, maintenance, and laundering of game uniforms. His equipment room in the field house became a favorite spot for students, who would often drop by to talk with Hibdon. A dorm parent, his apartment was also open to boarding students. He provided students with a shoulder to lean on when times got tough, a high five when something was done well, and a critical friend when that was called for. Phil died at his home on the Baylor campus on March 31, 2010.
Ron Stewart - Ron was a thoughtful and brilliant teacher who deeply loved what he did. Ron grew in Shreveport, La. and attended Tulane, where he majored in math and physics, won the senior physics prize, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his master’s degree in physics at the University of Maryland. Ron taught physics and math for eight years at the Maret School in Washington, D.C. before joining the Baylor faculty During his 26-year Baylor career, he was a math department chairman, baseball coach, kayak instructor, and dorm parent. One of the Southeast’s most prominent kayakers, Ron was active in river conservation efforts. His efforts have led to protection of such areas as the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge. In 2007, he received the rarely awarded American Whitewater Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his longtime dedication to the preservation of and access to whitewater rivers. Ron lived on campus with his wife, Lorraine, a Spanish instructor. Their daughter, Michelle, graduated from Baylor in 2005; their son, Jeff, in 2007. He passed away on March 22, 2008 after a battle with cancer.