Joe Black
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more graduation pictures)
Three
Share Valedictorian Honors at Erskine College
Commencement
The 107 graduates of Erskine College, including
three co-valedictorians with perfect 4.0 grade point
averages, had the opportunity to meet Joe Black
during the 155th commencement exercise at
the oldest four-year church-related college in South
Carolina.
Joe Black the commencement speaker – not to
be confused with the movie that bears the same name
– encouraged members of the Erskine Class of
2000 to define success in their lives by putting God,
family and friends first.
"Life as an adult is a wonderful journey of
change," said Black, who also graduated from
Erskine, 31 years ago. "Embrace it, love it, and
don't be afraid to enjoy it. The choice is
yours."
Black gave the Erskine graduates eight rules to
live by, drawn from his personal experiences since
leaving Due West.
"Realize that God is always on your side and
that your are never alone," Black said.
"Realize that there is no such thing as a
self-made man or woman.
"Choose a great spouse," he said.
"Follow your dreams, don't follow the crowd. Be
creative and take risks. You are going to have
wonderful successes and wonderful failures. Just
always remember to fail forward.
"Develop relationships in your personal and
professional life. Realize that respect and honor
cannot be passed from one generation to another
– it must be earned.
"Do not let the mass media control your
mind," Black continued. "And always decide
to have a positive attitude."
Black said these rules would help mold the
graduates into leaders, defining a leader as someone
who chooses to set a positive example for others to
follow.
"Our country needs you to lead us,"
Black said. "We need wise, caring, smart men and
women that have a Christ-centered foundation."
The three co-valedictorians included Kyle Bowers
of Belvedere, Rebekah Carson of Due West and Lucas
Hollar of Summerville. Bowers introduced Black, while
Carson and Hollar responded to his comments.
Carson, the daughter of Erskine President John
Carson and his wife Sarah Ellen, told Black,
"Your comments show us that we are just passing
through this life. God's people live by faith and
realize that they are just visitors here, but it is
important that we do reflect on what we are doing
while we are here.
"Many things are challenging us as we leave
here," Carson said. "I agree with you, Mr.
Black, that being successful means putting God first.
Each of us, as we leave, will be on the stage of
life, living before an audience of one –
God."
Hollar said Black's comments made him realize that
"we're never going to be good enough."
He said, "What I mean is, there is always
room for improvement. Every time we succeed, God
raises the bar so we always fall short. But He still
loves us."
President Carson congratulated the three
valedictorians and said, "At Erskine, education
is for the whole person. These students didn't just
have their heads in the books for four years, but
they also played sports and served on the SGA.
"To the seniors, I would like to say that as
you go away you take a little of our hearts with
you," Carson said. "And we hope that you
will leave a little of your hearts behind."
Senior Class President Leslie Black presented the
glass gift to the college, an outdoor classroom on
the Reid Lot in Due West across from the
Daniel-Moultrie Science Center. She said the
classroom was dedicated to the memory of Odette
Gorry, who was killed in an automobile accident in
the fall. She was the wife of Erskine psychology
professor Tom Gorry. Black also said two serviceberry
trees were planted near the outdoor classroom in
honor of Joe Black and his wife Kathy, a member of
the Class of 1970.
Joe Black worked in the
textile industry where he spent 15 years with
Milliken and Company based in Spartanburg. His career
gave him many opportunities as Human Resources
manager, Legislative Affairs manager, Director of
College Relations, and Director of Quality for
Milliken's largest division.
In 1986, he left the employ
of Milliken to form his own consulting firm in
Spartanburg. In 1996, he sold his consulting company
and moved to Buena Vista, Col., where he now resides.
Black continued his dedication to his alma mater
by serving as co-chair of the Living Endowment, and
as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Also at commencement, honorary degrees were
presented to Lawrence Edward Davis, Stated Clerk of
the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Doctor of
Divinity degree), and James Elliott McDonald, of the
Greenwood firm Burns, McDonald, Bradford, Patrick
& Tinsley, L.L.P. (Doctor of Laws degree).
Dr. Davis, a graduate of Nyack College, New
Brunswick Seminary, McCormick Seminary, and
Westminster Seminary, has served the Evangelical
Presbyterian Church as Stated Clerk since 1981 and
has been involved in the joint work of his
denomination with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church. He serves as chairman of the board of World
Relief Corporation and has served the National
Association of Evangelicals in several capacities,
including his current post as first vice chairman. He
has also served since 1997 as Board Chairman of World
Relief Corporation.
McDonald, an attorney, is a lifelong member of the
Greenwood Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and
has served as a director and chairman of Bonclarken
Assembly Grounds. He is a graduate of Harvard
Business School, Davidson College, and University of
Virginia Law School. An honorary member of the
Erskine College Alumni Association, he has served on
the Board of Visitors of the Medical University of
South Carolina, devoted years of work to the Kiwanis
Club, and spent 24 years as a member of the Board of
Trustees of Greenwood School District 50.
Erskine College graduates included:
Bachelor of Arts
Graduates, December 10, 1999: Amy Rebecca Hand, summa
cum laude, Due West.
Graduates, January 27, 2000: Kristin Diane Whitten
, cum laude, Greer.
Graduates, May 14, 2000: Brad Allyn Anderson,
Arden, N.C.; Kristy Elaine Arthur, cum laude,
Knoxville, Tenn.; Michael James Basie, magna cum
laude, Rock Hill; Angel Christine Bible, Laurens;
Leslie Caroline Black, cum laude, Edgemoor;
Angela Marie Brown, summa cum laude ,
Starr; Patrick Alvin Brown, Jr., Laurens; Ashley
Lauren Cain, Lawrenceville, Ga.; Rebekah Jean Carson,
summa cum laude , Due West; Adam Burke
Cheshire , Norcross, Ga; Jaime Elizabeth Coleman,
magna cum laude , Abbeville; Tiffany Ann
Cooper, North Charleston; Matthew Bryson Davidson,
Easley; Andrew Hartman Eager, Dahlonega, Ga.; Daniel
Barry Eller, Rock Hill; Jamie Lynn Fisher, Lexington;
Iris Rebecca Fleming, Rock Hill; William Montgomery
Gamble, Massillon, Ohio; Kimberly Grace Gaymon, summa
cum laude , Macon, Ga.; Amy Elizabeth Gray,
Iva; Rebecca Ann Gregg, Spartanburg; William Rhett
Harbeson, Summerville; Rebecca Joanne Hart, Pickens;
Kelli Allison Heath, Columbia; Theodore Lucas Hollar,
summa cum laude , Summerville; Brandi
Lea Holt, Greenville; Brian Lewis Howard, Greenville;
Kevin Lee Johnson, cum laude, Lakeland, Fla.;
Susan Alexandra Kahrs, Bogart, Ga.; Mary Shannon
McGinnis, Arnold, Md.; Joseph Ryan McKenzie, Bartow,
Fla.; Elizabeth Ann McPeak, Lancaster; Courtney
Veronica Pollock, Irmo; Fredrick Chase Rayburn,
Greer, Sarah Elizabeth Scott, Summerville; Angela
Suzanne Sears, Greenwood; Kyle David Setzer, Irmo;
Jenny Elizabeth Shealy, summa cum laude
, Clinton; Kristin Elizabeth Shinn, Mooresville,
N.C.; Michael Todd Simpson, Gastonia, N.C.; Allison
Lynn Smith, Lancaster; Hailey Elizabeth Whitfield,
Charleston; Sarah Elizabeth Wooley, Due West.
Candidates, Aug. 15, 2000: John David Burch,
Greer; William Rhett Harbeson, Summerville; Kelli
Allison Heath, Columbia; Richard Garison Taylor III,
Greenville.
Bachelor of Science
Graduates, August 7, 1999: Charlotte Vaughn
Jackson, Greenwood, Patricia Ann Olsen, Due West;
Patrick Kyle Smith, Greenville.
Graduates, December 10, 1999: Edward Warren Bray
IV, Greenville; Shaunta Mosley Harris, Hodges; Tara
Elizabeth Lowe, Anderson; Jennifer Elizabeth Marsh,
Kingsport, Tenn.; Elizabeth Vaughn Pursley, magna
cum laude, Clover.
Graduates, May 14, 2000: Katie Dawn Adams,
Melbourne, Fla.; Gregory Keith Blackwell, Fort Mill;
L'Adair Ellen Blake, Greenville; Tabatha Lynn Bodie,
Clinton; Eric Beard Boetsch, Fort Mill; Robert Kyle
Bowers, summa cum laude, Belvedere;
Jason Keith Burkhart, Aiken; Arthur Cecil Carter III,
summa cum laude, Summerfield, N.C.;
Katherine Courtney Catoe, Rock Hill; Gregory Donald
Clanton, cum laude, Greenville; Jeremy Lee
Cobb, cum laude, Westminster; Sharai Gail
Correll, Gaffney; Matthew V. Cox, Due West; Jeremy
Ray Crisp, Starr; Qusai Aunali Darugar, magna cum
laude, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; Brian Pinkney
Faulkenberry, York; Kemberly Jean Gambrell, Clinton;
John Edward Goudelock, Hartsville; Bryan Mitchell
Gullick , Greenville; Carrie LaShea Hall, Ware
Shoals; Daniel Cason Hannah, Hodges; Adam Davis Hare
III, Pinopolis; Thomas Rucker Holland, Pickens;
Heather Patrice Knight, summa cum laude,
Simpsonville; Ngoc-Minh Thi Le, Greenwood; Jennifer
Leigh Magaha, Donalds; Mary Elizabeth McBroom,
Columbia; Elizabeth Ashley McDaniel, Greenville;
Matthew Dupree McKenzie, Columbia; Martha Carter
McMinn, Honea Path; Erin Rachel Morrell, Augusta,
Ga.; Stephanie Kay Neely, summa cum laude,
Pelzer; William Kevin Owens III, Williston; Amanda
Lee Page, Belton; Sandra Elizabeth Page, Columbia;
Tina Kathleen Paysinger, Newberry; Jonathan Adam
Roling, Simpsonville; Christi Lu Seward, magna cum
laude, Marietta, Ga.; Meredith Marie Sexton,
Piedmont; Lori Elizabeth Smith, summa cum
laude, Stanfield, N.C.; Melissa Ann Sprenne,
Pelion; Arthur Habakkuk Suarez, Mt. Pleasant; Laura
Wingate Taylor, Greenville; Scotty Ray Tribble,
cum laude, Gilbert; Elizabeth Michelle Turpin,
Iva; Valerie Lanice Warren, Greenwood; Azuree Bleue
Waters, cum laude, Travelers Rest; Gina RenČe
Webb, Simpsonville; David Francis Wenger, Mt.
Pleasant; Tad Sease Whiteside, Columbia; Laura Leigh
Whitlock, Columbia; Joseph Anthony Whitmer, Canton,
Ohio.
Candidates, Aug. 15, 2000: Ellen Marie Cotter,
Greenville; Elizabeth Anne Fitzgerald, Jacksonville,
Fla.; Jacqueline Louise Hatfield, Clinton;
Everett-Jackson Thorne Young, Columbia.
Honorary Degrees
Doctor of Divinity, May 14, 2000: Lawrence Edward
Davis, Northville, Mich.
Doctor of Laws, May 14, 2000: James Elliott
McDonald, Greenwood, SC
