Scholarship will aid nontraditional age students

Helen Holler Fultz, who graduated from Wells in 1975, has shown her support for this educational ideal by establishing a special scholarship at Wells with a gift of $25,000 that will assist nontraditional age women in their pursuit of a liberal arts degree.

Mrs. Fultz, currently a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is well aware of the challenges facing adult students. She was a nontraditional student at Wells and participated in the college's Women In Lifelong Learning (W.I.L.L.) program which was created to meet the needs of nontraditional students. She earned her bachelor's degree with a major in Italian studies.

Her husband, Daniel Fultz, was vice president and treasurer at Wells while she was a student. He is currently executive vice president and treasurer at Lycoming College.

February, 1998

Research examines generative behavior in parents

Entitled "Generative Behavior in the Lives of Midlife Parents," the paper is co-authored by Wells seniors Jamie Carpenter of Sherburne, New York, and Carolyn Mix of Ithaca, New York. "Jamie and Carolyn are co-authors on the paper because they played an integral role in the research process," explains Professor Morfei. "They did all of the data coding, working from a coding scheme I had developed."

The research examines how generative behavior - a shift in behavior from self-interest to support for the next generation - is expressed in different areas of adult life such as parenting, occupation, volunteer, and leisure activities. Morfei also examines the role of gender in generative behavior and how generative behavior relates to the participants' well-being.

Participants in the study were 48 men and 50 women with children between the ages of 15 and 22. They were interviewed about why they decided to have children and what they found satisfying and unsatisfying about being parents. Similar questions were asked about occupation, volunteer work, and leisure activities.

Professor Morfei says, "I asked Jamie and Carolyn to work with me because they are excellent students whom I thought would benefit from some 'real,' hands-on research. Working with them was a pleasure; they were extremely professional and dedicated to doing a superlative job."

The Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association is APA's premier national, annual event. This year's (the 106th) conference will be in San Francisco in August.

Professor Morfei received her B.A. in psychology from Wells and her M.S. and Ph.D., also in psychology, from Syracuse University. 

February, 1998

Students lead national women's education conference

"The number of women's colleges in the United States is dwindling," says conference co-chair Mimi Hawkins, a Wells senior from Spencerport, New York. "We've recently gone from 81 to only 79 women's colleges left. I will be committed to women's education after I graduate. I want to take this opportunity to explore fully why single-sex education is good for women."

The keynote speaker is Jadwiga Sebrechts, president of the Women's College Coalition in Washington, DC. Conference sessions will cover gender and sexuality, safety and security at single-sex institutions, mental health issues related to women and their complex life roles, and women in sports.

"It's a student-run conference, and we're making sure the program reflects the needs and concerns of students who are attending women's colleges," says Hawkins who has worked with co-chair Jess Barnes, a senior from Little Meadows, Pennsylvania, to identify topics and contact speakers.

"I think the main topic the women of Wells and the students of other colleges would like to examine is the role of women in higher education. We want to make sure other young women have the same options we've enjoyed," says Hawkins.

Commenting on her involvement in the conference Jadwiga Sebrechts says, "The Women's Coalition, which represents the nation's women's colleges, is very pleased to participate in this forum and help to foster the development of a network of women's college students across the country. A collaboration such as this will become a model for other colleges and will establish a foundation for future joint efforts among students and hence, among colleges."

Representatives from Mount Holyoke College, Chatham College, College of Notre Dame (Maryland), and Marymount College plan to attend, and the list continues to grow, reports Hawkins.

For a complete schedule and conference registration information, call 315/364-3322 or e-mail collegiate@wells.edu

February, 1998

Director of transfer admissions named

Young has worked as director of admissions at the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, director of transfer admissions at Clarkson University, and admissions transfer counselor at Roberts Wesleyan College.

He is currently president of the New York State Transfer and Articulation Association. Young has also served on the executive board of the New York State Association of Two-Year Colleges and was chair of the National Transfer and Articulation Committee of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

"I am pleased Don has joined our team," says Sloan. "He brings with him a great depth of experience, and he is very active professionally. Even more important, he is known in the field as an advocate for the needs and concerns of nontraditional and transfer students."

Young says, "When I worked at Clarkson University, I had contact with Wells as a result of the 3/2 engineering agreement between the two schools. I quickly learned to appreciate the high quality of the academic programs at Wells, and I've always admired the beautiful campus. I am extremely glad to be here and look forward to the challenge."

Young earned his bachelor of science degree in history with a minor in business administration from Roberts Wesleyan College.

February, 1998

Wells establishes History and Archives Fund

This endowed fund began with a gift of $2,000 from Jane Marsh Dieckmann of Ithaca, New York, Wells Class of 1955, in June of 1997. Shortly thereafter, her classmate Ann Taylor Rodewig of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, added nearly $10,000 in honor of Dieckmann. The current level of the fund is $13,912.

"The Wells archives contain papers, photographs, and other items of interest to researchers all over the world," says Helen Bergamo of Seneca Falls, New York, who has been the college archivist for 12 years. A growing collection of material related to printer and artist Victor Hammer includes rare books produced by the legendary Hammer Press and correspondence between Hammer and Thomas Merton. Scholars of women's history in particular can enjoy digging deeply into a voluminous collection assembled by Emily Howland. "These consist of articles about Native Americans, slavery, and women's rights from which she developed many of her ideas," says Bergamo.

The papers of 19th-century American entrepreneur E.B. Morgan who was a founder of The New York Times are an untapped treasure of the Wells collection. He corresponded frequently with Henry Wells and William Henry Seward. Included in the Morgan collection are Civil War documents.

The archives also offer primary materials for the study of corporate history pertaining to the early days of the Wells Fargo and American Express companies.

The letters and diaries of Helen Fairchild Smith, the first dean of Wells College, present a view of women's education from the perspective of a pioneer in the field.

Alumnae and others who are interested in the history of Wells can explore yearbooks, student organization records, and song books as well as a solid collection of faculty and alumnae publications. A look at the unique collection of scrapbooks compiled by Wells women dating back as far as 1868 is fascinating and poignant. "You'll find dried flowers, dance programs, and lots of pictures," says Bergamo.

Those interested in the history of the Finger Lakes region can mine a rich vein of local lore, fact, and observation. "It's amazing what we have about Cayuga County," says Bergamo. "The Temple Hollcroft papers contain a wealth of information about the county, Aurora, and Wells Fargo."

According to Bergamo, the most frequent users of the archives are Wells students. "Our faculty members encourage them to use it so they can gain experience with primary source research material. Women's studies classes use it regularly." The next largest group is researchers who come to Wells from other institutions.

The area that receives the largest amount of research inquiries is by far Wells College history followed by local/regional history. Senior theses written by Wells students are housed in the archives, and many of them are requested, says Bergamo.

Jane Marsh Dieckmann is the author of Wells College: A History, the first, published narrative of the college's history. The book was published in 1995 and Dieckmann conducted extensive research in the college archives in preparation.

The income from the fund will be used for support of archival programs and displays. Funds may also be used to assist with student research work requiring use of the archives. 

February, 1998

Wells meets Fred L. Emerson Foundation challenge

The challenge was issued in 1994 by the Emerson Foundation to grant Wells $500,000 if the college raised $1.5 for endowed, merit-based scholarships from other sources.

An additional stipulation was that Wells' ongoing comprehensive campaign to raise $50 million by the year 2000 had to reach the $39 million mark by September, 1998. That goal was reached ahead of schedule in January of this year.

"The Fred L. Emerson Foundation has been a significant source of very generous support for Wells for many decades," said Bellinzoni. "We are especially grateful for this challenge grant because it has strengthened our relationship with our alumnae and friends even as it has generated endowment funds that will support merit-based scholarships in excess of $100,000 per year in perpetuity."

February, 1998