Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: News

William Thames, director of field services in the college of education, believes in honoring those who came before him at Eastern. But he is afraid the idea of honor is slowly fading away as time continues.

"We're concerned about the institutional memory failing," he said.

Thames said so many people have made the college of education what it is over the years and they should not be forgotten.

The college is now doing its part to ensure those people will be remembered with the establishment of a Wall of Honor on the fourth floor of the Combs Building.

The wall will feature names of faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college who have left a considerable mark through their contributions.

Thames said the Wall of Honor committee will choose five or six applicants each year, who will then be announced at a banquet each May.

The first six applicants have been chosen by the committee and will be inducted to the Wall of Honor at a banquet dinner Oct. 19.

The first inductees are Rev. Dixon Barr, dean of the college of education from 1961 to 1993; Imogene Ramsey, chair of curriculum and instruction from 1965 to 2005; Harry Moberly, Jr., Kentucky state legislator; Mary Jean and Raymond E. Giltner, who established the Commitment to Excellence endowment; Carl Hurley, former Eastern professor and comedian; and Bige Towery, former superintendent for the Rockcastle County school system.

Faculty and staff can be nominated for the honor only if they are retired with 20 or more years at the college. They must then be nominated. Someone must write a letter explaining why that person deserves the title.

Alumni or friends of the college must have contributed to the college for many years, or contributed to the helping professions and school systems in Kentucky in a valuable manner, Thames said.

The planning for the Wall of Honor has been ongoing for several years, but Thames credits the passion and decision making of Bill Phillips, dean of the college of education, as the main force behind having the wall established.

Thames said he believes the Wall of Honor will keep the names of these helpful educators and friends alive.

"It'll cement that institutional memory. Over the course of 20 or 30 years, you tend to forget people, [but] we don't want to lose that."

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