Student Affairs Hall of Fame Banquet Set for Feb. 26

The dedication of former employees to the lives of students will be honored during the Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College Student Affairs Hall of Fame Awards Banquet.

The event is planned for Friday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Westchester Village, 1825 Locust Ave., Fairmont. Tickets are $23.50 per person. Checks will be accepted and should be made payable to Fairmont State University. Those who plan to attend should RSVP by Feb. 22 to Sue Conrad at (304) 367-4643.

Honorees will be Dr. Billy G. Dunn, Registrar from 1972 to 1993, and Emma Matheny, Administrative Secretary - Senior from 1979 to 1997.

"The Student Affairs Office provides valuable services for students throughout their college years," said Michael Belmear, Vice President for Student Affairs. "These services include Welcome Weekend, counseling, crisis intervention, housing, multicultural affairs, career planning and placement, health services, mentoring, Student Government and other student activities. The Hall of Fame event has been designed to recognize the efforts of past employees and to encourage present employees to carry on the tradition of excellence."

Dr. Billy G. Dunn

Dr. Billy G. Dunn was born on Dec. 20, 1930. He and his current wife Patricia reside in Peterstown. His first wife Betty passed away in 1992. He is the father of Barbara Bennett, Morgan Dunn and Shawn Dunn and is the grandfather of four.

Dunn earned a bachelor's degree from Concord College (now Concord University) in 1951, a master's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1952 and a doctorate from West Virginia University in 1965. Dunn's work experience includes service in the U.S. Army, serving as a business professor at Lees Junior College in Kentucky and employment as a cost accountant at Celanese Corp.

During his time at Fairmont State from 1956 to 1993, Dunn was a professor of business, director of institutional research, director of federal programs and registrar.

He was also an adjunct professor off-campus while he served as registrar. In the late 1960s he was half-time director of institutional research for the Commission on Higher Education and West Virginia College and University Presidents Association. In the early 1970s, he taught night classes at Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania. He was a golf coach and assistant coach also during the 1970s.

As director of federal programs at Fairmont State from 1965 to 1970, Dunn assisted in funding the Learning Resources Center, computer resources and education programs. For the Commission on Higher Education and Presidents Association, he developed inventory of physical facilities and projections of enrollments and budget needs. As registrar, was involved in establishing the first computerized system of student records. Dunn served the Commission on Higher Education in administering Title I grants. He held membership in various state and national associations and committees. He also worked with Allegheny Community College in Cumberland, Md., to establish a new electronic data processing and computer center.

Emma Matheny

Emma Matheny and her husband Bill have three children: Debbie Shreve of Houston, William E. Matheny of Tiffin, Ohio, and James Matheny of Mechanicsville, Va. They have seven grandchildren: Tracy Bellew, Erik Shreve, Nathan Shreve, Travis Matheny, Maggie Commet, Paulo Matheny and Kendrick Matheny. They have three great-grandchildren: Nanako Shreve, Brandon Commet and Tyler Commet.

Matheny attended Norris School in Butchersville and junior high and senior high school in Weston, graduating in 1952. She took classes toward a secretarial degree at the vocational technical school in Fairmont and classes at Fairmont State. Stan Groves needed a cashier at the Fairmont State Bookstore; she applied and was hired.

After three years at the bookstore, Matheny applied for a secretary position in Student Affairs and was hired. She worked for Blair Montgomery (now Pierpont president) in the recruiting office; Ann Lester in women's housing, sororities and testing; and Bill Julian in men's housing, fraternities, disability services and the work study program.

Matheny said her greatest achievement was helping her student workers.

"My student helpers were exposed to just about everything you would do in any office. They have all gone on to achieve excellent jobs and have climbed the ladder. I hear from most of them at least once a year with updates on their jobs and also on their families," she said.

Since her retirement in 1997, Matheny said she stays busy helping with her church and enjoys her church sewing class where she makes blankets and pillows for the children at WVU Children's Hospital and for shut-ins. She said that most important is spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Michael BelmearStudent Affairs Hall of Fame