In Memoriam
Going the Extra Mile
| Photo by: Don Cudney |
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Tom Casadevall studied anthropology
first at Beloit, then geology. The
combination initially drew him to the
intersection of people and disasters. |
Quick thinking by Tom Casadevall and a team of USGS scientists saved lives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Few people’s lives are as intertwined with disaster as Tom Casadevall’s.
As a young scientist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Casadevall’69 responded to the first earthquakes at Mount St. Helens and was at the agency’s field station in Vancouver, Wash., when the most devastating volcano in U.S. history erupted in 1980.
After that, Casadevall studied a string of active volcanoes during nearly two decades with the USGS Volcano Hazards Program, including several years as the advisory volcanologist to the government of Indonesia. The job also took him from Alaska to Rwanda to the Philippines and beyond.
But in the mid 1990s, he joined USGS senior management—moving away, as he jokingly puts it, "from working on regular volcanoes to working on political volcanoes."
In 1998, he served a stint as acting director of the USGS after then-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit called him to Washington, D.C., to lead the department’s sole scientific agency.
Now, as central regional director for the USGS—one of three such posts in North America—he is responsible for 15 states west of the Mississippi and leads more than 3,000 employees who are spread throughout the region.
His current position put him squarely in the middle of another disaster of historic proportions: Hurricane Katrina.
When the 2005 hurricane season reordered the Gulf Coast as we knew it, Casadevall was there in the early, critical days, first in a management capacity from his Denver, Colo., office, and later in the flesh as the first Department of the Interior senior executive to reach Louisiana after the storm.
The work he and his team of USGS scientists did in the waking hours of New Orleans’ flood is credited with directly saving 600 lives, supplying food and water to an additional 2,000 people, and providing urgent help to other agencies by pinpointing the location of 9-1-1 calls.
Casadevall authorized his employees to mobilize in response to the Louisiana governor’s request for assistance from federal agencies. The USGS team was the first group of federal employees to respond to that call. Initially, the decision to recast his scientists as search and rescue personnel raised a few eyebrows. There were obvious concerns about safety and liability. But ultimately, he got the higher support he needed.
"I’ve participated in enough disaster responses to know that there’s a time when you do whatever you need to do to save lives," Casadevall says. "It was the right thing to do, and I just happened to be the decision-maker in the chain."
It turns out that the USGS scientists and their tools and equipment were uniquely well-suited to respond. "These are guys who grew up on the bayous and waterways," Casadevall says of his team. "So when the call came out for boat drivers and people who could support search and rescue efforts, I had people who would have gone anyway. There was no way anyone could hold them back."
Besides their expertise navigating waterways, USGS scientists and technicians already had a fleet of 15 to 20 small boats normally used in scientific research, which Casadevall authorized them to repurpose for search and rescue. But the teams’ greatest contribution was connecting street addresses to as many as 8,000 panicked 9-1-1 calls, at a time when helicopter pilots and boat rescue operators were unable to read house numbers or street signs.
"The USGS took the street addresses and geo-coded them to latitude and longitude so the Coast Guard could enter that into their onboard computer systems," says Casadevall. Among other activities, the team produced more than 600 maps per day at the height of the flooding.
"I’m very proud of them," USGS Acting Director Patrick Leahy says of the team. "They are in the best traditions of the Geological Survey."
Casadevall and his 45-member team were honored for their efforts last fall, when they received one of eight 2006 Service to America Medals. Sponsored by the Atlantic Media Company and the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, the award recognizes significant contributions by federal employees.
As this magazine went to press, Casadevall was also about to receive the Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious distinction given to a small number of senior federal executives for their career accomplishments. It is the highest recognition the U.S. government can give to an employee in the Senior Executive Service.
— Susan Kasten
Alumna Makes Her Mark in Professional Football
| Photo by: Dennis W. Stostad |
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Julie Wilke’02, quarterback for the Austin
Outlaws, leads her team onto the
field for
a home game in Austin, Texas. |
Two years removed from Beloit, Julie Wilke’02 was feeling a void in her life. The star college athlete—who had lettered 10 times in soccer, basketball, and track and field and had many of her exploits entered in Beloit’s record books—was bored. She missed the camaraderie of sports, the chartered bus rides, and the challenge of competition. So one day in her Austin, Texas, apartment, she trolled the Web for references to women’s football.
Five months later, as an Austin Outlaws wide-receiver, Wilke eluded defenders, raced toward the end zone, leaped, caught the pass, and scored her first touchdown as a professional football player. She went on to lead all Outlaws receivers that season with six touchdowns.
The Austin Outlaws are part of the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA), one of three active women’s football leagues in the country, all established within the past seven years. The NWFA, founded in 2000, boasts nearly 40 teams from coast to coast, with names like the Crush, the Rage, the Divas, and the Herricanes. They play full-contact, NFL-rules football from April through July with eight regular season games plus playoffs.
Women’s professional football is not a commercial success. At least not yet. The Outlaws games are played on a high-school field; their practices are held at a junior high school. Players aren’t paid and come from various vocational backgrounds—school teachers, firefighters, store managers, and athletic trainers are among them.
Wilke moved to Austin in 2004 to pursue graduate work at the University of Texas. She completed a Master of Science degree in community and regional planning last year and works as a transportation analyst with NuStats, a research and consulting company with offices in Austin and Alexandria, Va. One of her current projects surveys and analyzes the travel behavior of 15,000 Chicago households. She says her Quantitative Methods class at Beloit was right on point for the job. "Professor Jeff Adams (economics and management) will be proud to know I’m using skills he taught," Wilke says.
When she tried out for the Outlaws, Wilke’s speed and sure hands made her a natural wide-receiver. During her first season, she also had a brief stint as quarterback when she was sent in because of an injury to the starter. "I had never practiced the position and didn’t know the signals. The last thing you want in the huddle is to act confused, so I just improvised as best I could. I was nervous, forgetting to take out my mouthpiece to call plays in the huddle." She laughs, saying, "I completed all four of my pass attempts. Unfortunately, the final completion was to the other team."
In her second season, Wilke moved permanently to quarterback, starting all eight regular-season games for the 6-2 Outlaws, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to a tough Chattanooga, Tenn., team. "I really enjoyed playing quarterback and can’t wait to get started with the 2007 season," says Wilke.
How does it feel, getting hit by huge defensive players? "Not that bad," Wilke says. "When I’m getting sacked and can sense it coming, I’ve learned how to absorb the blow. What’s painful is getting blindsided, especially at the quarterback position." She acknowledges the roughness of the sport, saying she’ll probably only play for five years. "Everyone’s body has its limit. I’ve been fortunate never to have a serious sports-related injury. I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. My body will tell me when its time to move on."
— Dennis W. Stostad
More about the Austin Outlaws is at www.austinoutlaws.com.
In Memoriam: Andrew H. "Bud" Whiteford’37
| Photo: Beloit College Archives |
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Andrew Whiteford'37 (left) in the Logan
Museum of Anthropology in 1947 with
colleague Moreau Maxwell. |
Andrew H. "Bud" Whiteford’37, an internationally known anthropologist who inspired legions of young people to pursue careers and interests in anthropology, died on Oct. 16, 2006, in Florida. He was 93.
Whiteford started out as an archaeologist and later pursued social anthropology, earning M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. At Beloit, he taught anthropology from 1943 to 1974 and served as department chair from 1944 to 1955. He was the enterprising director of the Logan Museum of Anthropology during nearly all of his tenure.
Whiteford’s research and field work was prolific and multi-faceted in focus. It included the material cultures of the Native American Southwest and the cultural heritage of people in Spain and Latin America, especially Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. His long-range community studies of the residents of Popayan, Colombia—an important urban center to which he returned from the 1940s to the mid-1970s—yielded a book titled Two Cities of Latin America: A Comparative Description of Social Classes (1964). It became required reading for many students of Latin American anthropology, sociology, and political science. He also made recordings of Colombian music in the 1950s as a result of his long association with Popayan.
After retiring from Beloit, Whiteford went on to serve as a visiting professor at Michigan State University, Texas Tech University, and the University of New Mexico and worked with collections around the country. Beloit awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1981, in recognition of his many contributions to the College.
During the latter part of his career, Whiteford was associated with the School of American Research in Santa Fe, N.M., serving as an interim director and research curator of its Indian Arts Research Center. He was a research associate of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. He published numerous articles and several books, including Southwestern Indian Baskets, Their History and Their Makers (1988) and the popular North American Indian Arts, which has gone through some 20 printings and is illustrated by artist and fellow Beloiter O.V. Shaffer’50.
Whiteford married Marion "Marnie" Salmon’37 in 1939. She survives, as do four children, three of whom are anthropologists and college professors like their father. Scott’65, Michael’67, and Linda’69 Whiteford all hold Ph.D. degrees in anthropology; daughter Laurie Whiteford Richards is an urban planner.
Memorial gifts will be directed to the Mouat-Whiteford Endowed Research Fund at Beloit College. Contact Denise LaMaster for more information at 608-363-2650 or lamaster@beloit.edu.
In Memoriam: Ruth Colman Peterson’38
| Photo: Beloit College Archives |
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| Ruth Colman Peterson’38 |
Ruth Colman Peterson’38, a prominent Beloit College personality who served the College for decades as an administrator and volunteer, died on Oct. 28, 2006, in Beloit. She was 89.
Peterson’s contributions to the life of the College and devotion to students were legendary.
The day after she graduated from Beloit in 1938, she went to work in the College Admissions Office. Later, after an earlier career in insurance and advertising, she served as an East Coast-based Admissions counselor for Beloit, before returning to campus in the late 1960s to take a post in the Admissions Office. She went on to become the College registrar and later directed the Academic Advising Office.
She was also a trusted advisor to students through the Mortar Board organization and as an officer and member of Beloit’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for more than 60 years.
An avid fan of College athletic programs, she served as commissioner of the Midwest Athletics Conference for Women.
Peterson was known for getting things done with enthusiasm, courtesy, and good humor. She initiated and coordinated a popular public lecture series called the Nine O’Clock Scholars, which featured the expertise of Beloit’s faculty. In 1991, she founded the Society for Learning Unlimited, a program that offers short-term classes for people over the age of 55. Affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute and based at Beloit College, that program continues to thrive today.
When she officially retired as the College registrar in 1984, Peterson was the first staff member in Beloit College history to earn the honor of the emeritus title without holding a previous faculty rank. Two student prizes carry her name. The Ruth C. Peterson Award in Political Science or International Relations was established in 1984 by Peterson’s friends to honor her years of service to the College; the Ruth Peterson Award is given annually to a senior woman student who best exemplifies the qualities of athlete, scholar, and leader.
Over the years, Peterson earned a number of other honors from Beloit, including an Alumni Award in 1988 and a Distinguished Alumna Award in 1998.
Among Peterson’s survivors are two daughters, Beth Pittman’71 and Vicki Wilson, six grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter. She was predeceased by a son, Sager Peterson’73.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Ruth E. C. Peterson Scholarship Fund at Beloit College. Contact Denise LaMaster for more information at lamaster@beloit.edu or 608-363-2650.
In Memoriam: Joseph P. Kobylka’51
| Photo by: Greg Anderson |
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| Joseph P. Kobylka’51 |
When Alumni Director Emeritus Joseph P. Kobylka’51 died on Nov. 1, 2006, Beloit College lost a true friend and supporter and so did generations of alumni who knew him simply as "Joe."
From 1966 to 1994, Kobylka directed Beloit’s Alumni Office after an earlier career in journalism. For those 28 years and even after he retired, he was the friendly face at Beloit’s front door to a large contingent of alumni.
During his tenure as alumni director, Kobylka was known for his affable personality and dedication to the job. He made a practice of coming into the office early to get a head start on the day. Harold Wilde, the College’s former vice president for External Affairs, once told Beloit College Magazine that Kobylka "was always on the job when the rest of Beloit was sleeping." A close look at one of Beloit’s iconic campus photographs of Middle College reveals Kobylka unlocking the building’s front door in the early morning light.
Nearly three decades in the Alumni Office, however, is only part of Kobylka’s Beloit story. From the time he enrolled as a transfer student in 1949 and went to work for the Round Table, he contributed extensively to the life of the College, even until last fall, when he participated in Homecoming/Reunion events only weeks before his death.
During that reunion—his 55th—Kobylka was recognized with the Distinguished Service Citation, awarded by the Alumni Association, the highest honor a member of the alumni community can receive.
"Joe was a shining example to so many of his fellow Beloiters," Dave Mason’49 said at a November memorial service held in Eaton Chapel. "He met every challenge with enthusiasm and determination and skill. He never lost his sense of curiosity—that mark of a seasoned journalist—a quality he always put to good use in his dealings with people and in his valued participation in campus and community affairs."
After graduating from Beloit, Kobylka completed the Boston University graduate program in journalism and then served in the U.S. Army. He returned to Beloit to work as a reporter and later as city editor for the Beloit Daily News before joining the College administrative staff. During his tenure at the College, he continued to serve as an editor, working on Beloit College Magazine as part of his role as alumni director and then continuing as a volunteer alumni editor from 1994 through 2006.
In 2005, Kobylka marked his 40th consecutive season as the public address announcer for Buccaneer men’s basketball games. He was an avid supporter of Beloit College athletics on many fronts, including founding and organizing the Buc Open, a major golf fundraiser for the Athletics Department.
The Joe Kobylka Spirit and Leadership Award, given to a senior student-athlete each year by the Beloit College Athletics Department, was named for him in 1999. Colleagues and alumni collaborated to establish the Joseph P. Kobylka’51 Endowed Prize in Journalism to honor him when he retired. It is awarded annually to a Beloit College student who exhibits excellence in journalism.
Joe Kobylka is survived by his wife, Faith Kellogg Kobylka’54, two sons, Joe’78 and Rich’82, a daughter, Sandy’87, and seven grandchildren.
Memorial gifts to Beloit College will be directed to the Kobylka Prize in Journalism. Contact Denise LaMaster in the Office of External Affairs for more information at 608-363-2650 or lamaster@beloit.edu.
In Memoriam: Bill Behling, "The Food Dude"
| Photo by: Buck Miller |
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| Bill Behling |
William "Bill" Behling III, affectionately known at Beloit College as "The Food Dude," died on March 1, 2007, in Burlington, Wis. He had been sorely missed on campus after suffering a stroke last fall.
Behling was a beloved campus character, known as much for serving up smiles as for serving more than 1,000 meals a day to students, faculty, and staff. Behling directed Beloit’s food services for more than 20 years, overseeing operations in Commons, D.K.’s Snack Bar, the Java Joint, and the C-House, and catering events and summer conferences. His ready wit and tendency to toss around candy bars, dress in costume, and invite faculty and staff to make homemade cookies in the middle of Commons lifted everyone’s spirits and endeared him to many, especially Beloit College students.
Behling hosted a campus Thanksgiving dinner each year—just one of the ways he looked out for students who were far from home. After a feast with all the trimmings, he took everyone to the movies. "Sometimes being at school at Thanksgiving is about being stuck," he told Beloit College Magazine in 2004. "Our philosophy here is that we serve a little bit of food and a whole lot of relationships."
At their winter meeting, the board of trustees wrote a resolution thanking Behling for his uncommon contributions to everyday campus life. "It is clear to all that your good humor, insightful and thoughtful commentary on virtually any subject, and good will to all is missed on campus," the resolution said.
Behling is survived by his wife, Chris, who directs campus special events and conferences for Beloit College, four children, William IV’93, Michael’95, Stephen, and Debbi, and six grandchildren.
