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Transylvania receives $2.9 million gift from 1937 graduate; second largest estate gift in school’s history

Posted on January 29, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has received a $2.9 million bequest from the estate of Margaret J. Lewis. This is the second largest estate gift in Transylvania’s history. The late Mrs. Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from Transylvania in 1937, with an English major and French and biology minors. “Mrs. Lewis cared deeply about Transylvania and her wish was to establish a professorship or a named scholarship,” said President Charles L. Shearer. “Raising funds to support student scholarships and faculty endowed chairs are both goals of our 225th Anniversary Campaign. We will consider several options before deciding how to best honor Margaret’s memory and wishes.” Mrs. Lewis grew up outside Chicago and moved to South Carrollton, Ky., as she was entering high school. Richard Valentine, vice president for alumni and development, said that Mrs. Lewis met her husband, Ed, during a trip to Europe following her graduation from Transy. “Mr. Lewis spent the majority of his career teaching at the University of Illinois, and their nearly $6 million estate was split between Transylvania and the University of Illinois,” said Valentine. After retirement, the Lewises lived in Laguna Beach, Calif., for over 30 years. “We are pleased that Mrs. Lewis’s Transylvania education meant so much to her and are grateful that more than 70 years after she graduated, she will have such a positive impact on her alma mater,” Valentine said.

“An Evening at the Cabaret: When I Was a Kid” opens at Transylvania Saturday, Jan. 30, for a two-night run

Posted on January 26, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s vocal ensembles will present “An Evening at the Cabaret: When I Was a Kid,” on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30 and 31, at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater. Tickets are $10. “An Evening at the Cabaret,” featuring the Transylvania Choir, the Transylvania Singers, the Pioneer Voices, Transy Boys A Capella and several soloists, will include a variety of children’s songs spanning multiple decades and styles. Some of the show’s numbers are a “Schoolhouse Rock” medley, “A Whole New World,” from the Disney movie “Aladdin” and television show theme songs from the ‘90s, including “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” and “Gullah Gullah Island.” For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120 or the fine arts office at (859) 233-8141.

Transylvania University names Marc Mathews vice president for finance and business

Posted on January 23, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON. Ky.—Transylvania President Charles L. Shearer announced today that Marc A. Mathews will join the University February 23 as vice president for finance and business. He succeeds Jerry Ray, who has been chief financial officer for 25 years and will continue in a part-time advisory capacity for several months to assure continuity and a smooth transition of leadership. Mathews brings 28 years of experience in accounting and financial management, most recently at the University of Kentucky, where he has been treasurer since January 2008, and was controller from 2004-08 and senior associate controller from 1998-2004. He previously worked in auditing and financial management at PricewaterhouseCoopers; Ross, Sinclaire & Associates; Century Offshore Management; and Coopers & Lybrand. As vice president for finance and business, Mathews will serve as chief financial officer and will oversee the operation of the physical plant and the offices of finance and accounting, information technology, campus safety, purchasing, telecommunications, human resources, and financial aid, as well as all contracted services such as the bookstore and food service. Mathews is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He has been active in community organizations including the United Way, the International Book Project, and Volunteer Center of the Bluegrass. He is national treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honorary. Mathews is a 1980 Transylvania graduate and a former member of its Alumni Executive Board. He

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Writer, activist and prominent cultural critic Todd Gitlin will give a public lecture at Transylvania Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m.

Posted on January 21, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Todd Gitlin, well-known political writer, novelist, cultural commentator and professor at Columbia University, will speak at Transylvania Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the William T. Young Campus Center. Gitlin’s lecture, “The Future of Enlightenment,” is sponsored by the Center for Liberal Education at Transylvania University and is free and open to the public. Gitlin, one of the nation’s leading thinkers about the media, has degrees in three different subjects: mathematics (B.A., Harvard), political science (M.A., Michigan) and sociology (Ph.D., Berkeley). He has written widely on the mass media and cultural politics in America. In the 1960s, he was president of Students for a Democratic Society, organizing the first national demonstration against the Vietnam War and the first civil disobedience directed against American corporate support for the apartheid regime in South Africa. A prolific writer, Gitlin is the author of 12 books including The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage; The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars; Letters to a Young Activist; and The Intellectuals and the Flag. He has contributed to numerous scholarly journals and general interest periodicals such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Nation and Harper’s Magazine. He is on the editorial board of Dissent, a contributing writer to Mother Jones, a member of the board of trustees of opendemocracy.net and is frequently on-line at tpmcafe.com and cjr.org. Gitlin is often on National

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Transylvania joins nation in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as Day of Service; special public program on January 22

Posted on January 16, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—On Monday, January 19, Transylvania students, faculty and staff will celebrate the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a Day of Service by joining members of the Lexington community to perform service projects. Activities at Transylvania include preparing snacks for the Hope Mobile Outreach program and writing letters of thanks for the troops. Transylvania student groups will also be participating in various service activities around Lexington. Other projects in Lexington include assisting seniors at Christ Church Apartments, participating in a community art project, painting the tutoring room at the East Seventh Street Center and volunteering at Shriners Hospital for Children. More than two dozen service projects are planned for Lexington and the surrounding counties. On Thursday, January 22, Transy will honor King’s legacy during a special program in the William T. Young Campus Center from 7-8 p.m. Linda Harvey, program director for the Restorative Justice Council on Social Misconduct in Faith Communities, is the keynote speaker. Local poets and musicians will perform as well as steppers from Bryan Station Middle School. The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120.