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50 Influencers of Rend Lake College: The Simmonses, grit in the face of tragedy
February 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland, Rend Lake College Media Services
INA, IL – The story of Rend Lake College’s only husband and wife pair to sit on the Board of Trustees should have be a happier tale. Unfortunately, this chapter of the story shows one of the greatest hardships encountered by those that founded RLC. Luckily, from that tragedy, a story of determination, triumph and legacy emerged and a family’s name was cemented in the history of the college forever.
In a meeting on July 26, 1965, in Whittington, the motion was made that a group be formed to establish a junior college district in the area consisting of six or more counties. Holland Simmons seconded the motion and thus sat the wheels in motion to officially form the Steering Committee for Rend Lake College.
Dr. James Snyder, left, Dr. Curtis Parker, center, and Mr. Holland Simmons, right, count up all the ‘yes’ votes that officially made RLC a reality. (Reece Rutland RLC Media Services)
Simmons, a Benton native and operator of Simmons Drug Store on the Benton Public Square,, sat on that committee, and like Apple, Baker and Parker, Simmons also held a spot on the Rend Lake College Executive Committee before going on to be the final member of the founding Board of Trustees. It was by his motion that Dr. Snyder was approved as the first president of Rend Lake College during the June 20, 1967, board meeting.
Tragically, Simmons service and life were cut short when he drowned in a boating incident while fishing on Lake Moses on July 27, 1969. His mother also perished in the mishap. However, Marie Simmons took up the cause and was appointed to serve out her husband’s term.
A resolution by the board was passed on August 19, 1969, to honor Holland after his passing. It read:
“Holland Simmons bequeathed an enduring legacy to Rend Lake College. That legacy is the spirit of friendship and harmonious collaboration which has characterized our endeavors since the College was conceived. Holland kept our house in order; no feelings of local pride or parochial selfishness have ever appeared. In his firm and quiet way, he always aimed us in the right direction. If circumstances offered the opportunity for rivalries or misunderstandings, the Board always directed, “Call Holland.” Our legacy of good feeling and harmony is embodied in Holland’s answer to those calls.
We who enjoyed his friendship and esteem his work believe that Mrs. Simmons will know the sincerity of our sorrow at Holland’s death, and too, our pride and appreciation of his accomplishments for Rend Lake College.
Therefore, be it resolved, by the Board of Rend Lake College that this tribute to our colleague and friend, Holland Simmons, be extended to him in memoriam, included in our minutes of this proceeding, and that a copy of this Resolution be delivered to Mrs. Simmons by the Chairman, with our heartfelt sympathy.
Signed
Curtis A. Parker
Allen Baker
Carleton Apple
Forrest Stewart
Melvin Farlow
Harry Irwin
Huel Cross”
Marie went on to become secretary of the board in 1972. to date, they are the only husband and wife to both hold seats on the Board of Trustees.
Both Simmons were also founders of the Benton Community Bank and both served as Board Chairs of that institution.
A small business owner, Marie, was unopposed when she ran the first time for the remaining one-year term which was earned by her late husband and then awarded to her via appointment. She was the leading vote-getter in a field of six when she ran for her first three-year term in 1971 and was re-elected again in 1974. In total,
Mrs Simmons, left, is pictured sitting next to Dr. Allen Baker, right, during the 1975 Board of Trustees photo. After the death of her husband, Marie served on the board for many years. (Reece Rutland – RLC Media Services)
Marie served as a Trustee approximately eight years. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Benton, Eastern Star and White Shrine. She served on RLC’s board until only a few months before her death on August 10, 1977, at the age of 68. It was her choice not to run for re-election that spring
Jerimy Porritt: Pastor, Servant, Friend.
February 18, 2017 By Leave a Comment
In Porritt’s 21 years on this earth, he fulfilled the Great Commission by taking the Gospel to the four corners of the Earth (West Frankfort Gazette photo)
End of the line: We visit the Southern Illinois towns where the Dakota Access Pipeline ends
February 17, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Brian Stover’s front yard is directly across U.S. 51 from the Patoka Tank Farm.
CAROLINA HIDALGO | ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO
PATOKA, IL- The southern end of the Dakota Access Pipeline is in Patoka, which is north of Centralia on US 51. Mary Delach Leonard of St. Louis Public Radio looks at the villiage of Patoka and the the community to the north, Vernon, and the tank farm that has existed since the 1940’s between the two. Several here in Franklin County will identify with Patoka for being a power house in Class 1A Boys Basketball, with and enrollment usually around 60 students. Please click on the link to read the full story. Here is an excerpt. Brian Stover raises chickens at his house in rural Marion County, Illinois, just across the road from the Patoka Tank Farm where the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline ends — about 75 miles east of St. Louis. Stover, 54, likes living out here in the country on U.S. Highway 51, between the tiny villages of Vernon and Patoka. He sells his eggs — including speckled ones from Easter Egger hens — for $2 a dozen. A hand-lettered sign on his back porch welcomes customers to his home … … Where the tea is Sweet Friends Belong Love Endures & Our Faith is Strong
‘M*A*S*H’ almost ditched Father Mulcahy, but Alan Alda fought to keep the character
February 16, 2017 By Leave a Comment
William Christopher, who played father John Mulcahy on M*A*S*H* for 11 Seasons (MeTV photo)
Professor Jeannie Mitchell shines bright at RLC
February 13, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland – RLC Media Services
INA, IL – Psychology Professor Jeannie Mitchell in the Liberal Arts Division is a 20-year veteran of Rend Lake College. With her
Jeannie Mitchell with an Rend Lake College student (RLC Media Services)
background in counseling coupled with her unrelenting passion for her students, it is no wonder that she has become one of the signature personalities on campus.
Mitchell grew up in Cambria and graduated from Carterville High School. She began her college education at John A. Logan before transferring to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to complete her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Psychology. From there, she completed her graduate work at SIUC, majoring in Counseling with a concentration in Substance Abuse.
So, what started her down that specific path? She relayed a story that many college-aged individuals can relate to.
“I was in St. Louis over a weekend for New Years because my boyfriend lived there. I opened up SIU Edwardsville’s catalog and Speech Pathology was the only thing that looked interesting to me. So, I went with it,” she explained.
But, while she was studying a topic she found interesting, another aspect of the experience caught and held her attention, leading to an educational shift.
“When I was doing my undergraduate work, I realized that I really enjoyed my minor in Psychology. I also came to the realization that I was more interested in the people, the clients, more than the speech patterns we were studying. The graduate program I chose let me connect with people. It also had high employability. It looked a great option given my interests and what I had learned about myself,” Mitchell said.
Her goal coming out of college was never to be a teacher. She wanted to put her degree to use in a setting she had been trained for, working with individuals in a clinical/counseling setting. She started off interning at a substance abuse service agency in Marion for a year. Then, she took a position with Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC), a private company based in Chicago that offered services state-wide to help reduce recidivism by using a case management approach to direct formerly incarcerated individuals to substance abuse treatment in a community setting.
Unfortunately, that door closed when new legislation was introduced that wiped out funding for the program.
“During that time, I got stuck in Chicago because of the weather. I was up there for four days. On the last day, I went to Meigs Airfield, which isn’t there anymore, and ran into Rex Ducan [former RLC Director of Cooperative Education] who was the only other person flying out of there that day. We started talking the whole way home. I knew that my contract was going to be dissipating and saw that there was an opening for AmeriCorps here at RLC, so I went for it.”
Mitchell spent two years in that position, getting to know the college and its students. She also spent a stint working for RLC’s Advisement Department following the AmeriCorps position. It was during this time that she got her first taste of teaching.
“My first teaching job at Rend Lake was an Intro to Psychology class on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon. I had never thought of teaching as a career move. Honestly, I took that job to earn a little extra money and boost my resume. But, turns out, I absolutely loved it,” Mitchell said.
“That was when the light bulb came on, and I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing.”
From those beginnings, Mitchell has turned her stop at RLC into a 20-year career, teaching full-time since 2001.
While she might have left the more clinical part of her education behind, Mitchell says that her training and employment history as a counselor offer her a unique toolset when approaching and relating to students.
“This is going to sound cheesy. But, so many times, as a teacher, you know that you are working with someone who is on the cusp of greatness. You know they are right there on the verge of discovering who they are and taking off to do something great. You get to be there right at the impetus of this person getting ready to do something huge with the rest of their lives, and that is such a great feeling,” she expressed.
“Anytime a student is comfortable enough to self-disclose something with me that they’ve never told anyone, those are really impactful moments for me. To know they feel safe and accepted is such a huge compliment as a teacher.”
Mitchell said that community college offers a unique environment for students to go through that process of learning and self-discovery. Transitioning to college is always a daunting process, but RLC’s ability to let students push their limits while maintaining some of their comfort zone and support structure can make all the difference in the world when it comes to taking vital steps in the next phase of a student’s life.
In addition to the lessons in the classroom, Mitchell also gives her students some practical experience as well. Every semester, students enrolled in her Child Psychology class select, as a class, an issue that they would like to raise awareness on. Then, the students hatch and execute a plan of action to spread knowledge and make a difference in the area they chose. Previous projects have tackled child abuse, foster care and making a Christmas tree for the United Methodist Children Home’s Festival of Lights.
Mitchell also shared her words of advice for those interested in pursuing careers in psychology fields.
“I would really urge anyone interested in psychology to shadow professionals currently in the field. Make sure to shadow many different people over many different capacities. You need to be introspective enough to know who you are, but know that it’s not about you.”
Outside of the classroom, Mitchell is a self-described “Pinterest addict.” She also enjoys antiquing and crafting. As an avid cook, she also helps organize on-campus cooking contests to benefit the Student Emergency Fund.
50 Influencers at Rend Lake College: Dr. Curtis Parker, the vision
February 13, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland- Rend Lake College Media Services
INA, IL – Dr. Curtis Parker, a Mt. Vernon optometrist, initially became involved with the birth of Rend Lake College via the local Jaycees organization. Eventually, Parker was chosen to co-chair the steering committee to facilitate the development of RLC. On December 21, 1966, Parker was named Chair of the newly formed Board of Trustees of Rend Lake College.
Parker is credited as being the primary force behind the establishment of the Rend Lake College Foundation as a non-profit organization with the State of Illinois.
Like Baker, Parker sat on both the Steering Committee and the Executive Committee during his service to the institution.
In the spring of 1970, at the completion of his latest term of office, Parker chose not to run for re-election. Albert Gulley was elected to fill the vacated position.
In this photo from the 1968 yearbook, Dr. Curtis Parker, center, watches RLC president Dr. James M. Snyder, left, count the “yes” votes for the creation of the new community college district.. Mr. Holland Simmons, right, was also a founding board member and the subject of next week’s profile. (Reece Rutland, RLC Media Services
Parker was satisfied to serve only four years on the Board, from 1966-70, before bowing out. “I didn’t come to be a perennial Board member. I came to get a job done,” he said. He was 35 years of age when he assumed the chairmanship of the original Community College District 521 Board.
His accomplishments were considerable, beginning with the formal proposal in February 1966 that resulted in the overwhelming acceptance of the Class I Public Junior College and the hiring of Dr. James Snyder as its first President following a nationwide search. The interviews were conducted in Parker’s home.
Parker was honored in November of 1998 by RLC when the college officially named the board room on the first floor of the Student Center the Curtis A. Parker Board Room.
The patient honoree, according to longtime Rend Lake College Attorney and colleague, Donald G. Musick, “was greatly instrumental in (the college’s) formation, organization and early success.
“Curt Parker’s quiet leadership, and the confidence which he gained from all members of the informal Steering Committee, were perhaps the prime ingredient which led to a successful organization effort. The citizens of the district voted to incorporate the college, and to assess themselves additional taxes for its construction and operation, by the affirmative vote of 87 percent of those voting on the proposition; that stands as the all-time record for an affirmative vote establishing a junior college in Illinois.”
Professionally, Parker retired from active optometry in January 1995. He has been in the business for 42 years and had worked with an estimated 65,000 patients. He spent all 42 years practicing in Mt. Vernon.
Is Middle America Due For a Huge Earthquake?
February 12, 2017 By Leave a Comment
50 Influencers at Rend Lake College: Dr. Allen Baker
February 11, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Ruthland – Rend Lake College Media Services
INA, IL – Founding Rend Lake College Board member Dr. Allen Baker, a Pinckneyville optometrist, was elected to the first-ever Rend Lake College Board on December 1966. All the members of that initial Board drew lots to determine length of term. Baker came up with a
Dr. Allen Baker, one of the charter members of the Rend Lake College board, who later became a philanthropist for the school. (RLC Media Services)
short straw, meaning he had to seek re-election the next year. But, on April 8, 1967, he was re-elected, this time to a three-year term.
Dr. Baker became President of the Board after President-at-the-Time Melvin Farlow suffered a heart attack. Farlow continued to serve the remainder of his term, but declined the presidency for the 1971-72 school year, and Baker took up the mantle instead. In total, he served on the college for over a decade.
He served on the RLC Board of Trustees from 1968-78 and was its Chairman from 1970-74. Prior to that, he served on the Steering and Executive Committees for Perry County and was instrumental in Pinckneyville becoming a part of the RLC District. He was also a key component in holding an election where voters decided by an overwhelming eight-to-one margin to establish the college.
Baker was involved in site selection and hiring the first President – one of three RLC Presidents he would be involved in hiring. He helped select an architect and pass a bond issuance for $1.3 million – the local share of constructing the original campus. He helped develop the college’s Master Plan and surely watched with pride as it became the first college in the state to complete its Master Plan.
In addition, in 1972, Baker, who had been vice-president of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) since its founding, was also elected president of that organization. It was in that position that he made a long-lasting impact for community colleges state-wide. He also was a member of the Illinois State Scholarship Commission and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Considered throughout the state as an expert on community college affairs, Baker has held several committee assignments in higher education, including serving as the Trustees Association liaison to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, serving on the Illinois Community College Advisory Committee on Community College Finance and serving on the Governor’s Advisory Committee to State Community College in East St. Louis.
RLC’s Administration Building was named in honor of Dr. Baker for his 13 years of service on the board as well as his contributions towards the founding of Rend Lake College.
At the naming dedication for the Administration Building, Dr. Loren Klaus, Shawnee Community College President, sent a letter citing Baker as “. . . the man who has done more for community colleges of the state than any other. “He indicated the community owed Baker its gratitude for the present system of funding for community colleges and called him “an eloquent speaker for the needs of this area.”
In reiterating the theme of those speaking during the evening, Dr. L.H. Horton Jr., President of Kankakee Community College, said Baker has done much for Rend Lake College, but his accomplishments extend further to include significant contributions to the entire statewide community college system.
Horton provided the guests with a rather specific list of some of Baker’s accomplishments. While Baker was ICCTA President, all 39 colleges in the system joined that organization.
Under his leadership, the Community College Act was codified. He helped establish a sound financial basis for community colleges, particularly through the equalization concept. And he gained the first override of a Governor’s budget.
In 2008, Baker and his wife Stella made another large impact on RLC, establishing the Allen Y. Baker and Stella Baker Scholarship Fund. “I directed them [Fidelity Investment Company] on behalf of my wife and myself to give a gift of $100,000 to Rend Lake College,” he said at the 2008 RLC Commencement Ceremony.
Dr. Howard D. Rawlinson’s book, The First Fifteen Years, is available to the public via Rend Lake College’s website. His book, along with many other pieces of our printed history, may be found at https://www.rlc.edu/student-services/111-learning-resource-center/12078-rlc-archives.
Women’s Basketball to host ‘Give Back Game’
February 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment
West Frankfort, Ill. – The women’s basketball home game on February 11th against Robert Morris-Springfield has been announced as the school’s first Give Back Game, an effort to support local schools by donating a portion of ticket sales to Frankfort community schools.
“Part of our program’s mission is community outreach, and what better way for us to support our community than by hosting an event to support our local schools,” said women’s basketball head coach Drew Smith. “This is an idea I have had for a while, and it just makes too much sense when you sit and think about it.”
“Being such a small community, our college has unique opportunities to provide support that other larger schools may not have. We hope this can grow into an event that West Frankfort can really get behind. Not only will it help our schools, but it will also showcase Morthland College’s commitment to becoming a more engrained part of the fabric of this city.”
The premise behind the Give Back Game is very simple. Each person who purchases a ticket will be able to request their ticket support Denning Elementary, Frankfort Intermediate, Central Junior High, or Frankfort Community High. For each ticket pledged in support, $1 will be donated to that school, and the school with the most fans in attendance will receive double the donation. There will also be a paper airplane competition at halftime, with several throws that land closest to center court winning free pizza.
“With this being the first time we have tried something like this, I am not sure what the turnout will be. What I do know is that it should be an exciting game and an exciting time for our program. This program, coupled with some of the high-profile recruits we are bringing in, is on the verge of something special, and we hope to get this community behind us. In turn, we always want to be appreciative and support those who support us.”
The Patriots are led in scoring by a couple local products. Maranda Chance (Vienna, IL) is averaging 17.8 points per game and leads the nation in steals per game at 3.6, while Autumn Gunter (Christopher, IL) is averaging 16.7 points per game.
The game will be played at Frankfort Intermediate at 2:00. The two teams met earlier in the year, with the
