Plymouth Magazine Spring 2021
Plymouth State 150 years Badge
Proud Past, Bright Future
Spring 2021
Set students up for success for the next 150 years at Plymouth State
Savannah and Sam Wisel pictured together, smiling
pinwheel iconEstablish a Student Scholarship
Savannah and Sam Wisel, both PSU class of 2012, have established an annual scholarship to help undergraduate students at Plymouth State complete their education.

Savannah and Sam met through their shared service activities while undergraduates at Plymouth State. They both volunteered for the Student Support Foundation and Alternative Spring Break trip. “Our service experiences inspired us to live lives in service to others,” says Sam, a current member of PSU’s volunteer fundraising body, the President’s Council. “We’re happy to give back so current and future Plymouth State students can find their path.”

black and white image of Moses Jean-Pierre in the middle of playing a basketball game
Moses Jean-Pierre seated outside, smiling and wearing shades and a blue suit
pinwheel iconSupport the Human Performance Center’s Strength and Conditioning Lab
Basketball legend Moses Jean-Pierre, PSC class of 1995, is proud to support Plymouth State’s new Strength and Conditioning Lab.

Jean-Pierre is the all-time leading scorer in NH College men’s basketball history at 2,483 points! He broke 23 program records at Plymouth State and was named ECAC Division III Player of the Year and NABC Division III First Team All-American.

Plymouth Magazine
Spring 2021 | magazine.plymouth.edu
Editor | Peter Lee Miller
MANAGING Editor | Patrick Gullo
EXECUTIVE EDITOR | Marlin Collingwood
Designer | Daphne Bruemmer ’98
Contributors
Marcia Schmidt Blaine
Alissa Helms
Chris Kilmer ’99
Louise Samaha McCormack ’72
Lesley McGowan
Peter Lee Miller
Ann Thurston ’80, ’00G, ’07CAGS
Reed Silvers ’23
Photographers
John Anderson
George Disario
Mackenzie Fullerton ’17
Jeremy Gasowski ’01
Ian Halter
Kaleb Hart ’11
Bret Kulakovich
John Tully
Jack Vachon ’21
Brett Wilhelm
Plymouth Magazine is published by the Communications & Marketing Office; Communications, Enrollment & Student Life. ©2021 Plymouth State University.

Comments to:
Editor, Plymouth Magazine, Communications & Marketing, MSC 24, Plymouth State University, 17 High St., Plymouth, NH 03264-1595; psu-mccs@plymouth.edu

Please send address changes to:
University Advancement, MSC 50, Plymouth State University, 17 High St., Plymouth, NH 03264-1595; (800) 772-2620; alumni@plymouth.edu

Alumni may update their contact information online at go.plymouth.edu/infoupdate.

On the cover:
Rounds Hall circa 1903, and 2021.
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FOUNDERS DAY MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Plymouth State University’s Best Days Lie Ahead
Our Founders Day celebration in March featured a proclamation by Governor Chris Sununu, tributes from Senate President Chuck Morse ’84 and Representative Matt Wilhelm ’04, recognition of Meredith Bristow Stevens ’62, Wallace R. Stevens ’62, and Professor Emerita Bonnie Breen-Wagner ’72, ’74MEd, and the presentation of a time capsule by Student Body President Avery Jones ’21.

In his Founders Day remarks, President Donald Birx describes a century and a half of service to New Hampshire and its citizens, distinguished by “…a continuity of inspiration and growth, and a transformation of lives for the better.” He also shared his vision of PSU 50 years from now, when the University will mark its two-hundredth anniversary.

Plymouth State University is blessed with thousands of friends, businesses, and community partners who join us every day in our mission to serve New Hampshire and our region. We are so very grateful for the efforts of all who have helped us achieve this momentous milestone.

Plymouth Normal School opened the doors to its first class on March 15, 1871, 150 years ago. From Plymouth Normal School to Plymouth Teachers College, and Plymouth State College to today’s Plymouth State University, there has been a continuity of inspiration and growth and a transformation of lives for the better. From the beginning, Plymouth has been a place of purpose, learning, and service focused on enhancing society and opening doors of opportunity. It’s an incredible story of commitment that we can all take great pride in. We should not miss, though, that PSU has faced periods of enormous challenge from its very beginning, but these have served to make it stronger. Like a tree in the wind, the roots have grown deeper, the branches stronger, the outreach greater, and its tender shoots spread further.

Of Note
Drew Guay
Drew Guay, the University’s director of campus recreation. Mackenzie Fullerton ’17 photo.
“40 Under Forty” Honors Up-and-Comers
Five members of the Plymouth State community are honored in the New Hampshire Union Leader’s annual “40 Under Forty” celebration of up-and-coming young professionals. The award highlights Granite Staters who are making a difference in their communities and fields.

40 Under Forty is organized by the Union Leader, which noted, “Perhaps one of the reasons that New Hampshire is the special place that we know it to be is because it keeps producing these young men and women who care and who thrive here.”

Of Note
SU’s new data analytics grant
Daniel Lee, Kaleb Hart ’11 photo; Jonathan Couser, John Tully photo; Cathie Leblanc, Ian Halter photo
Data Analytics at the Forefront
Data literacy is a critical skill for navigating life in the twenty-first century, and the ability to interpret data in order to predict and influence actions is crucial for businesses to make progress. Plymouth State University is helping to equip its students, in all majors, with data analytics skills through a $25,000 grant received from the inaugural Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub Seed Fund Program.

PSU is developing a Data Analytics Learning Community (DALC) and offered an interdisciplinary course during the Spring 2021 semester that blended data analytics with traditional history coursework.

Of Note
Skiers having fun
Skier in snow
Plymouth State boasts two of the best collegiate skiers in the nation. Their All-American runs took place at Mittersill on Cannon, PSU’s home mountain. Brett Wilhelm photos.
Skier going down hill
Plymouth State boasts two of the best collegiate skiers in the nation. Their All-American runs took place at Mittersill on Cannon, PSU’s home mountain. Brett Wilhelm photos.
Skiers Take All-America Honors
Two Panther skiers made Plymouth State University history this winter, becoming the first to capture NCAA All-America honors. On March 10, Mathilde Nelles ’22 won the distinction after placing fifth in the women’s giant slalom, and, just 48 hours later, Hunter Watson ’22 matched the honor by placing ninth in the men’s slalom. The breakthrough runs took place as the nation’s top collegiate skiers competed in the National Collegiate Skiing Championships at Mittersill on Cannon, PSU’s home mountain.

NCAA All-America recognizes the most accomplished athletes in a range of sports, and Plymouth State is now the proud home to two of the nation’s very best college skiers.

Archival image of people exploring on Mountain Day
Enjoying the view on Mountain Day. Spinelli Archives
Plymouth State 150 Looking Back: A History of Engagement, Service, and Community
In its first 150 years, Plymouth State University earned a reputation for genuine engagement between students and faculty mentors, service and cooperative work with local communities and regional partners, and innovative teaching. The commitment to engagement, service, and community are built into the formula of Plymouth State’s future.

New Hampshire’s legislature took action in 1870 to address a desperate need for trained educators. The “act for the establishment and management of a state normal school for the better training of teachers” appropriated a small amount of money for the new institution but left the details of establishing the school to trustees.

Many towns submitted proposals, but Plymouth’s was community wide. The town purchased and offered the old Holmes Plymouth Academy buildings and pledged $7,000; Plymouth citizens raised $1,100. The railroad promised $4,000 if Plymouth was chosen. The local school district promised $600/year for tuition to teach town students. All told, the town offered some $42,000 in real estate and cash. After reviewing a competitive set of proposals, the trustees chose Plymouth. The town had a history of support for higher education, buildings for the school already existed, Plymouth was a tourist destination and travel to town was increasingly easy, and the school had clear citizen support.

Mackenzie Fullerton ’17 participating in PSU’s new program

Plymouth State 150 Plymouth State University’s Place in the World Today

Plymouth State University’s historic ability to innovate and deeply rooted sense of community have been key to the institution’s durability and accomplishments over the past century and a half, and will continue to be the firm foundation for continued growth and progress. Key to PSU’s vision and mission is the concept of being strategically engaged within the communities of which the University is a part in a way that enlivens our students’ education, impacts profit and nonprofit businesses, government agencies, schools, and hospitals, and gives students the background to mesh seamlessly into their careers. Plymouth State develops ideas and solutions for a connected world and produces leaders through entrepreneurial, innovative, and experiential learning.

Transforming to meet today’s needs
Recognizing that a fundamental redesign was needed to better prepare graduates for today’s marketplace, Plymouth State began a process in 2015 that has since transformed the University and continues to evolve. PSU’s Integrated Clusters learning model is a flexible, efficient, and responsive version of higher education for the twenty-first century. It is based on problem solving, integrative thinking, teamwork, and an entrepreneurial spirit with students engaged in the various challenges of our times, and the cross-disciplinary thinking so important in communicating, actualizing, and synthesizing new ideas in an information rich environment.

Mockup of the Panther Facial Recognition System
Plymouth State 150Robots, Holograms, and Hoverboards: A Day in the Life of a 2071 Panther
Traces of melting snow glisten in the Mary Lyon Lawn. The morning sun peers over the mountaintops beyond Rounds Hall. The spring of 2071 has arrived in Plymouth, and I enjoy the warm weather and scenery on my morning walk from Pemigewasset Hall to Prospect Dining Hall for breakfast before my first class.

Leading up to the automatic sliding doors of Prospect Hall, an archway with facial recognition instantly grants me access. The place is almost empty—about 10 to 15 students in total. It was only 8:30, and most kids do not have a class as early as 9:00, the first morning block. I make my way over to the omelet station, where Robot Chef Moosilauke and Robot Chef Tecumseh cook up the popular breakfast option. I make my way over to the touchscreen kiosk where I select cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and green peppers. I watch as Tecumseh gathers the ingredients and cooks the omelet on the griddle. A few minutes later, the eggs are displayed on a ceramic plate by the pickup window. After grabbing a coffee from the beverage station, I maneuver past Stinson, the cleaning robot wiping down some empty tables, and find a seat by the television wall showing the local news.

Early 1900's photograph of hikers
Plymouth State 150 Traditions: What Distinguishes PSU and Warms Our Hearts
In the best of times, traditions center and ground us, connecting the past and present to the future. Their meanings have been heightened in the time of COVID. Traditions give us a sense of normality and predictability like nothing else in our lives does now. From many conversations with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and retirees, I have selected a few of our most beloved traditions. After 44 years at Plymouth, first as a student and then as a staff member, these traditions are a deep part of my own history as well.

Hiking
Plymouth State’s setting in the Lakes and Mountains Region of New Hampshire makes hiking a perfect fit from the school’s founding to today.

In the Normal School years, hiking was listed as a sport along with baseball and basketball, and individual and group hikes were traditional. A student wrote about her experience in the April 1922 Prospect:

Telling Tales Out of School
Vintage black-and-white photograph of John P. Clark ’71 smiling on a phone call
Vintage black-and-white photograph of Professor Emerita Louise Samaha McCormack '72 doing cheer
Vintage black-and-white photograph of the wife and daughter of President Harold Hyde standing in their Sunday best on some porch steps
The brightly-colored and high-contrast acrylic painting "St. Eustace and the Stag" by Karl Drerup
John Clark ’71, ’73G, Professor Emerita Louise Samaha McCormack ’72, and Mary Anne Hyde Saul (daughter of President Harold Hyde, shown above with her mother) gathered online last fall to reminisce about all things Plymouth State. View their lively discussion on Facebook.
McCormack is interviewing iconic faculty and staff members, including Dr. Manuel Márquez-Sterling and Chuck Bailey ’60, ’66G, among others. View the conversations on YouTube.
Hyde’s A Very Unlikely President is the definitive write-up of her father’s distinguished tenure from 1951 to 1977.
Plymouth State in 150 Objects, curated by the University’s Museum of the White Mountains, includes images and artifacts highlighting our sense of place and contributions over the generations.

Above: St. Eustace and the Stag, Karl Drerup, enamel, 1948, courtesy of Mary Anne Hyde Saul

Telling Tales Out of School
Vintage black-and-white photograph of John P. Clark ’71 '73G smiling on a phone call
John Clark ’71, ’73G, Professor Emerita Louise Samaha McCormack ’72, and Mary Anne Hyde Saul (daughter of President Harold Hyde, shown above with her mother) gathered online last fall to reminisce about all things Plymouth State. View their lively discussion on Facebook.
Vintage black-and-white photograph of Professor Emerita Louise Samaha McCormack '72 doing cheer
McCormack is interviewing iconic faculty and staff members, including Dr. Manuel Márquez-Sterling and Chuck Bailey ’60, ’66G, among others. View the conversations on YouTube.
Vintage black-and-white photograph of the wife and daughter of President Harold Hyde standing in their Sunday best on some porch steps
Hyde’s A Very Unlikely President is the definitive write-up of her father’s distinguished tenure from 1951 to 1977.
The brightly-colored and high-contrast acrylic painting "St. Eustace and the Stag" by Karl Drerup
Plymouth State in 150 Objects, curated by the University’s Museum of the White Mountains, includes images and artifacts highlighting our sense of place and contributions over the generations.

Above: St. Eustace and the Stag, Karl Drerup, enamel, 1948, courtesy of Mary Anne Hyde Saul

Plymouth State University
One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement
The classes of 2020 and 2021 were combined in undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, May 7 and 8.
The number 150 made out of flowers in front of the commencement stage
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Student Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Student Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Speaker
The number 150 made out of flowers in front of the commencement stage
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Student Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Student Speaker
Plymouth State University One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Commencement Speaker
Two students embracing showing their decorated graduation caps
Graduating students taking a group selfie
Todd Angilly '99
Graduating student posing for a picture
Service dog at the 150th commencement wearing a graduation cap
Three people posing for a picture together at the 150th commencement
Graduate wearing a mask at the Plymouth State University 150th Commencement
Graduating Under Extraordinary Circumstances: All have earned our admiration and respect.
All have earned our admiration and respect.
President Donald Birx and a graduating student
Female SkiierThe Plymouth Experience
Community
Plymouth veterans
Plymouth ski day
Plymouth students on campus
Students skiing on campus
Women in greek sorority
Plymouth theatre 1998
Plymouth students playing in the snow
THE GREEN | PLYMOUTH STATE ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES | SPRING 2021
1950s
Robert E. Jackson ’55 majored in math education and then went to University of Florida to obtain a master’s degree in education and PhD in philosophy. He is currently retired from both teaching and serving as the mayor of Largo, FL.
1960s
Harold C. LaMott ’62 is enjoying his retirement between York, ME, and St. Augustine, FL, after 35 years of teaching music and volunteering in music and theatre in Dover, NH.

Sylivia (Fusegni) Peterlin ’61 played intramural sports for four years and was a member of the Newman Club and Mary Lyon house committee. The month she graduated, she married Duane Peterlin, welcoming a daughter and a son in the following years. She worked with the Apprentice Academic Program of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for 10 years, receiving a certificate of appreciation for her contribution to the program. Currently an adjunct professor teaching math at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, NH, Peterlin says, “I enjoyed the math classes that Miss Smith taught and have always liked working with numbers.”

Dorothy M. (Donigian) Nazarian ’62 majored in physical education, was involved in the PE department, and was a cheerleader while at Plymouth State. After graduating, she raised a family and obtained her LNA certificate. Nazarian recently started her own business called “Dorothy Cleans and More” and now lives in Campton, NH. She has 13 grandchildren.

exchanging vows
A red heart with an arrow through it graphic

Nancy L. (Beegle) Badger ’75 met her husband Richard G. Badger ’74 at Plymouth State College, and June 19, 2020, was their 44th wedding anniversary. They are still going strong!

Alyssa J. Babb ’12 and Joshua Casperson ’15 married at Church Landing at Mill Falls in Meredith, NH, on October 10, 2020.

Elizabeth “Betsy” (McCarthy) McAshley ’12 and David (Ashley) McAshley ’12 were married on September 2, 2019, at Kingsland Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh, VT.

Joshua ’15 and Alyssa (Babb) Casperson ’12 wedding with friends
Joshua ’15 and Alyssa (Babb) Casperson ’12 wedding with friends from Plymouth.
McAshley wedding
McAshley wedding. David ’12 and Betsy ’12 were married September 2, 2019, at Kingsland Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh, VT. The bride and groom were delighted to spend their joyful day with friends and family, especially those from PSU. Shown left to right: Veronica Musch ’12; Matilda von Roth ’11; David (Ashley) McAshley ’12; Betsy (McCarthy) McAshley ’12; Jeff Thibaudeau ’11; and Elizabeth (Montmagny) Duvall ’11.
arrivals

Brian Gagnon ’05, ’09G and Ashley (Spalding) Gagnon ’07, ’12G welcomed daughter June Breaker on May 3, 2021.

Leslie A. (Kingsley) Blakney ’07 and Noah Blakney welcomed their son Dylan Todd on August 2, 2020.

Meghan (Plumpton) Cotter ’08 and Kevin Cotter welcomed their second daughter, Rowan, into the world on October 15, 2020.

Phoebe (Brown) Minacapelli ’08 and Adam Minacapelli welcomed daughter Lucy Josephine on January 6, 2021.

Matthew Wallace ’10 and Riley (Lacasse) Wallace ’18 welcomed son Max David on April 11, 2021.

Brett Lucas ’11 and Tori Lucas welcomed daughter Kira Elisabeth on May 9, 2021.

Alyssa K. (Mira) Choudry ’12 and Samir Choudry ’12 welcomed twins! Daughter Addison Katherine and son Chandler Vance were born on January 5, 2021.

Collage of babies
We want to hear from you!

Got married? New job? New baby? Send us your updates and photos: go.plymouth.edu/classnotes

In Memoriam
Remembering Plymouth State alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who have passed away.
Melba R. (Stevenson) Watterson ’34
December 20, 2020, Concord, NH

Marion A. (Joslyn) Foster ’46
February 3, 2021, Williamsport, PA

Gene E. (Rich) Perry ’49
October 14, 2020, Laconia, NH

Jane (Willoughby) Cote ’51
January 18, 2021, San Antonio, TX

George E. Bryenton ’52
January 22, 2021, Newington, CT

Lionel G. Metivier ’52
June 22, 2020, Tenants Harbor, ME

Lawrence A. Brown ’65
October 8, 2020, Wilton, NH

Robert L. Nugent ’65
January 10, 2021, Hampstead, NH

William A. Roeger ’67
November 30, 2020, Methuen, MA

Frank A. Hubbard ’69
January 3, 2021, Plymouth, NH

Donald P. Blair ’71
January 4, 2021, Hooksett, NH

Thomas C. Lindsay ’71
January 3, 2021, South Tamworth, NH

John C. Suman ’79
January 12, 2021, Eden, UT

Ronaldo R. Pelchat ’80
November 28, 2020, Lancaster, NH

Eleanor A. Mason ’82
October 9, 2020, Winooski, VT

Richard M. Petrykowski ’83
April 10, 2020, Port Townsend, WA

Scott L. Babb ’84
September 19, 2020, Merrimack, NH

Thomas A. Carr ’86
March 9, 2021, Moncks Corner, SC

Faculty, Staff, and Friends
William Barrett
September 26, 2019, Hartsville, SC

Michele Bartlett
August 31, 2020, Loudon, NH

Carol A. Briggs
December 3, 2020, Kingston, NH

Michael W. Chase
October 16, 2019, Somerville, MA

Virginia M. Davio
December 4, 2019, Middlebury, CT

Philanthropy Awards presented at Founders Day
Plymouth State celebrated Founders Day and its 150th Anniversary on Monday, March 22, 2021. The live-streamed event at 1:50 p.m. drew more than 6,600 viewers, with guest speakers including NH Governor Christopher T. Sununu, NH Senate President Chuck Morse ’84, and NH State Representative Matt Wilhelm ’04. Student Body President Avery Jones ’21 commemorated the day with a time capsule so that on Plymouth’s next landmark anniversary, its 175th birthday in 2046, campus and student leaders may open it and learn about what it was like to be at Plymouth in 2021.

As part of Founders Day, Plymouth State honored three individuals in the community who walk the talk and live a life of service and philanthropy.

Wally ’62 and Meredith Stevens ‘62
Wally ’62 and Meredith Stevens ‘62. Jeremy Gasowski ’01 photo.
Professor Emerita Bonnie Breen-Wagner ’72
Professor Emerita Bonnie Breen-Wagner ’72. Mackenzie Fullerton ’17 photo.
Plymouth Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2021 logo
Celebrating 150 Years of Plymouth State (1871–2021)
Save the date and make plans to join us! We’ll celebrate reunions for class years ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6, cheer the Panthers to victory as they play on our new turf field, and so much more. Make your hotel, Vrbo, or Airbnb lodging reservations today. Visit go.plymouth.edu/homecoming for details.
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