Barry Griswell
CLASS HONOR
It’s a Berry tradition for 50th reunion classes to support scholarships and other funds close to their hearts. The Class of 1971C was motivated by the memory of Barry Griswell (71C), a classmate giant in stature and heart.
Griswell’s unexpected death in June 2020 ended 17 years of distinguished service on the Board of Trustees, including four as chair. The loss was especially difficult for those closest to him, including classmates who remembered not the Fortune 500 CEO but the beloved teammate and friend.
Grief turned to action for those determined to honor his memory, spurring creation of a new scholarship program supporting students of great need who demonstrate a “spark” motivating them to rise above the adversity in their lives, just as Griswell once did. Classmates now are working to fund a scholarship within that program.
“We felt this was a good way to honor Barry,” said Glenn Ferguson (71C), co-chair of the class reunion giving committee. “He gave back to Berry, so it’s the right thing for us to do.” To date, the class has raised more than $56,000 toward its $100,000 goal.
This fall, 11 students received Griswell Scholarship support, benefitting from the generosity of alumni and friends whose immediate-use gifts helped launch the program. The college ultimately seeks to fully endow scholarships for a permanent cohort of 32 Griswell students.
Meredith Lewallen Roberts (left)
and Katherine Powell
Making a difference monthly
Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C) loved everything about Berry, so it’s not surprising that she’s committed to staying involved and making a difference.
When her first child was born, the director of hospitality and marketing at the Tennessee Aquarium was inspired to reach beyond herself and extend opportunity to others.
A new scholarship honoring friend and mentor Katherine Powell offered that chance, but Roberts doubted her ability to make an impact. Then she learned about recurring giving, a budget-friendly approach to generosity that enabled her to pledge $5,000 over five years, with regular payments totaling less than $100 per month.
“You put so much aside each month, and you don’t miss it,” she described. “It’s part of our budget, and we know it’s there.”
The Berry Alumni Council vice president also encouraged others to join the effort. To date, more than 100 donors have given to the scholarship, which now is fully endowed and offering support to the students who inspired Powell’s work leading Berry’s first-year experience program.
“It was a great opportunity to thank her for all she’s done but also to say your legacy will live on,” Roberts said of her now-retired friend. “Having a scholarship serve the individuals and program she felt passionate about was really important to all of us, and I hope she sees it that way as well.”
Jean Loveday Stutts and
Nancy Loveday Smith
Gift of Love(day)
The late Fred Loveday (39C,FFS) forever will be associated with Berry’s mountain campus, so it’s only fitting that his daughters chose to remember their parents by supporting renovation of
Frost Chapel.
Fred’s connection to Berry began with his own undergraduate education and work as a history teacher at the college in the early 1940s. He returned to Berry after serving in World War II and became headmaster of the Mount Berry School for Boys, remaining on campus until 1966, during which time he met and married Mary Mahon, a teacher at the Martha Berry School for Girls.
Daughters Jean Loveday Stutts and Nancy Loveday Smith learned of the $1.2 million renovation effort –including restoration of the chapel’s clear leaded-glass windows and installation of a new climate control system – after planning a small family wedding there. For both, “It was like coming home to be in that special place again.”
“It was a blessing to dedicate a window to honor our parents,” Stutts said. “We are grateful to our parents for a legacy of faith and to be a part of the legacy of Berry.”
Ten of 17 available windows have been named so far. Those gifts, along with others including crowd-funding support from many in the Berry community, have generated more than $350,000.
Terry and LuAnne Worley
Working for a better future
Terry Worley (78C) understands the value of Berry’s work program (now called LifeWorks) because he and late wife LuAnne Gilbert Worley (78C) experienced it themselves.
“In addition to some extra spending money, it gave us more of a sense of responsibility,” he recalled of their work together in food service. “We felt like we were contributing toward our college education, and it made it more meaningful to us when we finally got that degree.”
There were other benefits as well, especially when the young couple had a disagreement.
“Whenever she got mad at me, I could always find her washing dishes in the scullery,” he said with a laugh. “She took it out on those pots and pans.”
LuAnne died in 2015 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, but her name endures in the LuAnne and Terry Worley Endowed LifeWorks Scholarship. Recipients are awarded $5,000 each academic year, to be matched with $5,000 in Berry work wages, resulting in $10,000 to be applied toward their educational expenses.
“I thought this would be a good way to honor LuAnne and to help a current student,” Terry explained. “We met at Berry and got to know each other at Berry. It’s something that will always be there.”
Retired from the financial services industry, Terry cherishes memories of Berry and has enjoyed introducing his new wife, Kathy, to the school. She shares his generous spirit and is happy to be investing in the lives of Berry students.
