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Convocation and Yates-Gill Union Dedication Mark
Beginning of Academic Year
by Nathan Weinert
Three giants of the Kansas City community and one giant of the William Jewell College community were recognized on September 13 when William Jewell College officially started its academic year at Opening Convocation. At convocation the William F. Yates Medallion was awarded to three individuals (including one posthumously) and an honorary doctorate was given to a longtime trustee.
Dr. David Sallee, president of the College, opened Convocation by reminding those present that they were "standing on the shoulders of giants." Greetings from the City of Liberty were delivered by Robert Steinkamp, '67, mayor of Liberty, and new faculty were presented by Dr. John Westlie, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College.
Three individuals were recognized with the Yates Medallion for service to the metropolitan area, including one posthumous recognition. The first two presented were Ann Dickinson and her husband, the late Gary Dickinson.
"Ann Dickinson is a force to be reckoned with-but a nice force," said Patricia Ann Garney, who presented both Dickinsons for the Yates Medallion.
Garney recognized Ann Dickinson for her business acumen, community services and family ties. Dickinson has been the chairwoman and owner of Dickinson Financial Corporation since her husband, Gary Dickinson, died in an automobile accident in 1997.
"Ann believes it is her job to finish what her husband left behind," Garney said. Garney also presented the Yates Medallion for Gary Dickinson, reading part of the Christmas letter that Ann Dickinson had written the year after her husband died to illustrate his impact on others.
Gary Dickinson founded Bank Midwest, and was chairman and owner of Dickinson Financial Corporation until his death.
Convocation Honorees Back row: Dr. Thomas Hoenig (keynote speaker), John White ‘67, Dr. David Sallee Seated: Ann Dickinson, Terry Dunn |
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The third recipient of the Yates Medallion was Terry Dunn, president and chief executive officer of J.E. Dunn Construction Group, Inc.
"It’s safe to say there are very few organizations in this city that Terry doesn’t have his hand in in some way," Thomas "Buzz" Willard, ‘76, said as he presented Dunn for the Yates Medallion. After presenting Dunn with the Yates Medallion, Sallee told about Dunn’s service to the College after the 2003 tornado, including his promise that the College would be ready to open for the 2003-04 academic year.
Dr. Thomas M. Hoenig delivered the keynote address. Hoenig, who is president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, told the audience of two challenges that current students would face in coming years. The first was consumer debt to other countries and the second is |
the federal government's deficit and resulting debt. "The effect of these events if we don't act is our standard of living must decline," Hoenig said.
Despite these challenges, Hoenig told the students that they also have great opportunity.
"We have enormous resources, enormous knowledge, and our greatest resource is our ability to create value," Hoenig said.
Hoenig also told students that once they graduate from William Jewell, they should be prepared to work, and that the "day you leave, it's expected for you to give back to the institution" in order to help other students have the opportunity to become contributing members of society.
Hoenig invoked the Yates Medallion recipients on stage as examples of individuals who had helped solve problems in society. "I am absolutely confident that if you step out as leaders. . . like these two individuals. . . then you know that all these issues are solvable," he said.
After Hoenig spoke, a previous Yates Medalist and Citation for Achievement recipient was recognized for his continued service to the College. John White, ‘67, who has served 17 years on the Board of Trustees (including six as chairman) was presented with a doctorate of humane letters. During his response to the award, White said that he accepted it on behalf of his family and three professors who made a difference in his life as a student.
The Yates-Gill College Union was officially dedicated at 1:45 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in which representatives of families who have made significant contributions to the renovation participated. |
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Faculty prepare for the processional prior to Opening Convocation |
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Ray and Lucille Gill |
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John and Penny White |
Sonja and Bill Yates |
Construction on the building took almost a year and significantly expanded the available meeting space while creating more of a visual presence on the Quad for the facility. The completion of the Union provided the College a unique chance to create a new space for members of the College community to gather. "This is a community area that is not a residence hall lobby," Mary Sallee, chairwoman of the Decorating and Standards committee, said. "This is a great gathering space where students have the opportunity to create new traditions. This would be an excellent place for campus organizations to collaborate on a big social event."
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