1960s

Michael N. Thomas, BS ’61, retired as an international health consultant in family planning in 2017. Contact at 2242 Mulberry Hill Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409 or mthoma9613@aol.com.

Jill Withrow Baker, BA ’64, designed her artist’s studio, the first Net Zero Program residential building in Kentucky. Baker attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Florida State University and Pratt Institute, earning a Master of Fine Arts in painting. In 1981, she moved to Los Angeles and taught art at Pierce College. In 1991, she returned to her loft in SoHo, New York, worked for the commissioner of Major League Baseball and for Golden Books as a legal secretary. She later taught at Nossi College of Art, the Art Institute of Tennessee, and the University of Southern Indiana. She moved to Louisville in 2012, working full time as an artist, teaching art and exhibiting her work worldwide. Baker has illustrated dozens of books, including many for Lee Pennington, her neighbor and a Poet Laureate for Kentucky. Contact at 11905 Lilac Way, Louisville, KY 40243 or jillwbaker@gmail.com.

Bernie Calaway, BA ’64, authored his 10th book, a five-volume encyclopedia titled History and Mystery: The Complete Eschatological Encyclopedia of Prophecy, Apocalypticism, Mythos, and Worldwide Dynamic Theology. Contact at 106 Gobbler Knob Rd., Cullowhee, NC 28723 or benieconway@earthlink.net.

Dr. James Cotton, BA ’65, was inducted Feb. 22 into the Bethesda Health Clinic’s Doctor Luke Society. Cotton is a nephrologist who helped found The Centers for Kidney Care in Tyler, TX, where he has worked since 1978. He served in the U.S. Navy in the early 1970s as a lieutenant commander. The Cottons founded The Cumberland Academy Charter school in 1998. They have five children and 11 grandchildren. In addition to education and medicine, they have been very active in the arts.

Dr. Harriet Harral, BA ’66, MA ’67, announced she will retire in June 2020 after 25 years of service as executive director of Leadership Fort Worth (LFW). Harral grew LFW from one to five leadership development programs that serve various constituents. She has volunteered on such nonprofit boards as Goodwill Industries, Renaissance Heights United, the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, United Way of Tarrant County, Women’s Policy Forum, Mayfest, and Guardianship Services. Nationally, she chaired the boards of the Community Leadership Association and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. As principal of The Harral Group, she continues to facilitate planning and communication initiatives for numerous government and nonprofit entities. 

Charles Wallis, BA ’67, curated a Small Works show for the Texas Visual Arts Association, Dec. 2, 2019-Jan. 3, 2020, in the TVAA Gallery in Dallas. Wallis is TVAA vice president and has paintings in eight different galleries in Texas.

The Janna Kay Entzminger Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was established by Danny, BBA ’69, and Marsha Bowlin, BA ’70, to honor Janna Entzminger, BSN ’88. 

Bestselling author Tony Castro, BA ’69, published his seventh book, Mantle: The Best There Ever Was (Rowman & Littlefield), in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Baseball Hall of Fame legend Mickey Mantle’s death in 1995. Castro’s other books include the critically acclaimed literary biography Looking for Hemingway (Lyons Press), which National Public Radio named among the best books of 2016. Castro and his wife Renee LaSalle live in Los Angeles. Contact at tony@tonycastro.com.