BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College honored several distinguished alumni with awards at the annual Founders Day celebration held Friday during Homecoming festivities.
Bob Skinner ’75, has served as sports information director, Voice of the Bobcats, resident director of Doney Hall, Campus Center and Student Activities director, director of admissions, director of marketing and communications and vice president of advancement.
Under Skinner’s tenure, the College successfully completed a $32 million capital campaign and a $2 million Title III Endowment Match as part of a $10 million U.S. Department of Education Grant.
The Rhododendron Award recognizes West Virginians who have brought distinction and honor to their state or have offered exemplary acts of leadership on behalf of the College.
Established in 1967 by then WVWC President Stanley Martin, the first recipient was the late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph in 1969. The Rhododendron Award has only been given 15 times in its 55-year history.
Also honored during the ceremony were Jack ‘59 and Mary Sue ‘60 Fraser. Moore presented the couple with the President’s Medal.
Jack was previously honored with the Wesleyan Alumni Achievement Award in 1992 and inducted into the Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He has served on two major fundraising drives for WVWC and the committee to write Wesleyan’s mission statement. Mary Sue served on the alumni council in the 1980s. The couple continues to give back to their alma mater, as members of the Wesleyan Society and John Reger Society.
Brooks Jones ’62 received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. In 1968, Jones began working as Director of Alumni Relations before leaving in 1972 to continue a career in educational fundraising. In 1989, Jones returned to WVWC as Director of Development and Director of the Second Century Campaign, which secured over $28 million for the College including a new dining center. Together with his wife Josette, Jones endowed the Jones/Holtzworth Family Scholarship at Wesleyan and is a charter member of the Wesleyan Society and the John Reger Society. Jones retired as Wesleyan’s Director of Gift Planning in 2005, but continues to volunteer with the College. In 2010, he received the Alumni Service Award, is a former president of the Wesleyan Emeritus Club and is an unofficial advisor to the Office of the Institutional Advancement and Development.
The Hon. John F. McCuskey II, ’69, Hon. ’22, gave the keynote address entitled, “Yes, You Made the Right Choice.”
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.
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