Saying goodbye to a few familiar faces
Mr. Bill Joseph, 40 YEARS
Vice President for Business Affairs Mr. Bill Joseph joined Virginia Wesleyan in 1966 as the Business Manager with the intention of only staying for a short time. “When I first came here, I thought I’d be here three years and move on,” Joseph said. Forty years later, however, he was still at Virginia Wesleyan. Joseph remembers Wesleyan at that time as very different from the Wesleyan of this time. “When I first got here, we had Bray Village,” Joseph said. “We worked there. Kellam was administrative offices. Grounds were rented out from the farmers.” While dealing with the basic financial needs of the school like accounting, he was also responsible for tasks like billing students. Joseph said that he and his workers had to “gradually grow into a college. It was young, and challenging. Still is, in many respects.” While he is retiring from the position he has held for so long, Joseph will stay on at the College part-time as an adviser to Virginia Wesleyan’s business operations – a position that will include meeting people in the office and working with the physical plant and food services. He credits the enjoyment he finds in his work as one key to his longevity at Wesleyan. Reflecting on his time at Virginia Wesleyan, Joseph sums the experience up as “unbelievable. Never thought I’d go for 40 years. We have a wonderful staff here. It’s just been a great experience.”
Dr. Stephen Mansfield, 38 YEARS
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the College Dr. Stephen Mansfield, vice president for Academic Affairs and Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the College, stepped down from his position in July and assumed a new role as director of archives, where he will help protect materials that trace Virginia Wesleyan’s history. “The opportunity to archive is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time,” Mansfield said. Mansfield first arrived at Virginia Wesleyan in the fall of 1968 as a member of the history faculty. He taught history for two years and in 1970 he became academic dean for a year. He went back to teaching until he was asked to take over for Dean William M. Wilson, who was killed in an automobile accident on Christmas Day in 1994. He was selected in the spring of 1996 to become vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the College, which is the position he held until July. Mansfield says he stayed at Virginia Wesleyan for so long since it is “a good place to develop a career because of the relationships and quality of workers.” He also has enjoyed being able to watch people’s careers unfold and is pleased by the number of children of alumni who have become Virginia Wesleyan students. Mansfield will serve as director of archives for two years, where he will be able to watch the campus continue its growth. “Every college aspires to have an archive,” Mansfield said. “We are fortunate at Wesleyan that we can take advantage of our youth.” “Part of the challenge is for me to preserve and organize materials,” he said. “Once they are assembled, it will be easier for me to accommodate questions [about the school’s history].” This position will also help Mansfield in another area. Having already published a book on Virginia Beach, he is planning to write one on the history of Virginia Wesleyan. He hopes to have the book finished by 2011, which will be the 50th anniversary of the chartering of Virginia Wesleyan. (The College received its charter in 1961.)
Dr. Neil Ramsey, 32 YEARS
Professor of Sociology Dr. Neil Ramsey began teaching in 1960. In 1974, he and his wife moved to Virginia from Wisconsin so he could start the sociology department at Virginia Wesleyan. Thirty-two years later he has decided it is time for retirement. “I promised my kids that I would retire once I turned 70, and I kept my word,” said Ramsey. In 1957 Ramsey received his A.B. from William Jewel College in Missouri. He then obtained an M.Div. from Colgate-Rochester, an M.A. from the University of Denver and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Ramsey served as chairman of the sociology department for the majority of his time at Virginia Wesleyan and has taught a number of different courses, the last two of which he taught this summer. After his retirement, Ramsey plans to move to Haines, Alaska, to be near his son, who is a river guide. “I’m going to enjoy my retirement. Alaska is a simpler kind of life where you can even drink from the rivers!” “What I will miss the most about Virginia Wesleyan is of course teaching, as it has been my life and joy for so long.” Ramsey will not forget the campus community either. “I will miss working with all my good students and colleagues. They are the reason I love teaching.”
Mr. Conrad Parker, 9 YEARS
Head Softball Coach After coaching six different sports during a 30- year career at Bayside High School, less than two miles from the Virginia Wesleyan campus, Mr. Conrad Parker retired and was recruited to coach at Virginia Wesleyan by former Athletic Director Don Forsyth in 1997. Parker exits as the winningest head coach among only five individuals who have mentored the program since its inception in 1982 with a final record of 217 wins, 156 losses and one tie. “I’ve been blessed to have some pretty good players on the field for me during my nine years,” said Parker, who also has more league wins (90) than any other Virginia Wesleyan softball coach. “They enjoy playing the game. It’s something I noticed that was special about the Virginia Wesleyan players way back when I umpired their games. Some were slow of foot, not the right size, or not the most talented, but they played from their heart and they had fun doing it.” “If anything, I’ve always had good seniors,” said Parker, whose players have earned 51 All- ODAC honors during his nine years. “Some have led by actions, some by words, but every one of them led with their competitive attitudes. It’s something the younger players have seen and picked up on every year, which I believe is a reason for our continued success.” What is in Parker’s future? In addition to spending a lot of time with his family, he also intends to spend time on the greens, so look for him at any golf course in Hampton Roads. “I’ve had a wonderful time at Virginia Wesleyan,” said Parker. “I don’t think anyone could have had as much fun as I did in my retirement from Bayside. … I’ll especially miss the student-athletes. They’re good people and I’m proud of every one of them.” And it’s safe to say that Virginia Wesleyan is pretty proud of its association with Conrad Parker.