It is near impossible to get a nation, let alone the world, to commit to a new lifestyle unless it has been done before and proven to be successful. After over 50 years in real estate and development, Fred Spain ’58 is in the midst of showing the nation how it’s done. Along with his partner, world renowned LEEDS architect Douglas H. Carter, Spain has acquired the land and is acquiring the funds to develop an entire town that addresses the realities that lie ahead: global warming, rising energy costs and scarcity of resources. In the near future, Ranson, West Virginia will be a shining example of how Americans can live a new lifestyle that is eco-friendly and attainable.

Spain has had an appreciation for natural life since he was a boy. Just after World War II, his parents bought a 50 acre apple and peach farm in Delanco, New Jersey, right on the Delaware River. As Spain grew up, his memories broadened from life on the farm to life on the river. During that time, he hunted ducks and geese, trapped muskrats and fished the rivers and creeks in New Jersey. He has owned several boats during his life and now is captain of “Reel Easy,” a 55-foot sport fishing boat. This easily explains the nickname of “Mark Trail” listed under his class photo in the Eukairia, Wesley’s yearbook.

Although he was a natural guide when it came to exploring the outdoors, Spain was on the receiving end when a high school friend named Al Snow led him to discover Wesley Junior College, where he would begin his higher education. Snow was going into the Seminary, a path Spain also had entertained, so the United Methodist institution had a unique draw. After a meeting with President Slaybaugh and some convincing of Spain’s parents, the 18-year-old from Delanco officially became a Wolverine.

“My two years at Wesley were my growing up years,” said Spain. Wesley was a new beginning where he found lifelong friends by joining the Student Council and the football team. He also found strong mentors like Dean Sterling and Lewis “Uncle Louie” Wells. “I think I can say without hesitation, that all of us from the Class of 1958 believe that without Wesley, we would never have seen the bright light of day and what the world truly offered.”

Even though more than 50 years have passed since his days at Wesley, Spain can still recall a course assignment that has forever shaped his perspective. He reminisced, “My most memorable experience of ‘awakening’ my spirit happened when Professor Wells gave us an assignment to write about what we experienced when we read ‘Seeing Life’ by Alexander Baron. I have been trying to see life every day since.”

Fred’s yearbook portrait

Spain became interested in real estate when he transferred to American University after Wesley. In 1959 he landed his first real estate job and obtained his license. Almost 20 years later, Spain, with his wife Barbara, bought the BetterHomes and Gardens real estate franchise for the Washington metropolitan area. In addition to operating his realty business, he developed numerous commercial and residential projects covering more than 3,000 acres in Prince William, Fairfax, Culpeper and Loudoun counties in Virginia. He later sold his real estate offices to the broker managers so that he could focus exclusively on land acquisition and development. In 1988 the Spains purchased a 200 acre apple farm in Fauquier County, Virginia, which the couple owned for about 10 years before moving back to Washington to a house on the Potomac River.

Among the many posts throughout his career, Spain is a past first vice president of the Northern Virginia Board of Realtors and past chairman of its Fair Housing Committee. He is a member of Jefferson County Citizens for Economic Preservation and National Association of Realtors and earned the distinction of being named among the “Oustanding Young Men in America” in 1976.

Spain’s football pose

The Spains are now the principal brokers for American Realty and Management in Maryland and Virginia. He and Barbara also own the West End Group Investors, LLC, ADS Developers, LLC and Grand Vista, LLC, which serve Martinsburg and Ranson in West Virginia. The West End Group and Grand Vista are currently developing over 1,300 acres of residential and commercial land to eventually become “RansonGreen: A West Virginia Community for a Carbon Free Future.”

For the past five years, Spain has worked tirelessly to obtain properties and research the latest technologies that are required to create a sustainable city. “With the economy so stressed these days, we have found that the investors and manufacturers of green products need a place to display them — in a true world working environment where these new products can be seen and tweaked,” said Spain. “There is no better place to do this than in homes and commercial buildings that are using them in their daily routines.”

Situated in one of the most historic areas of the country and neighboring Charles Town and Harper’s Ferry, the town of Ranson could not be a more ideal location to “build the future on the best of the past.” The land boasts beautiful fields, mountains and rivers, yet is close enough for residents to commute to Washington, D.C. while enjoying a 33 percent lower cost of living. With business already thriving in its surrounding area, Ranson has all the potential needed to set the new standard. “We are set to prove that our project can produce enough pure energy, with electric and hydrogen being the power supply and reserve, to run our houses, transportation and businesses from the utilization of wind, solar and biological degeneration of waste.” Existing on clean and renewable energy sources, the urban design and architecture of RansonGreen will provide a home to more than 12,000 individuals and families as well as major corporations and small businesses. The vision is an all-encompassing community that offers a variety of shopping and entertainment along with recreational, civic and cultural activities for its residents.

Fred and Barbara Spain pose with Wally, Wesley’s mascot, at Homecoming.

Beyond all the hard work they do every day, the Spains continue to enjoy the life they lead and try to keep up with their 13 grandchildren. “We appreciate the many opportunities that going green has offered us with new technologies developed by wonderful people who are working toward building an environment that supports and defends planet Earth,” Spain remarked. While persevering in order to complete the RansonGreen project, he and Barbara see a future filled with green cities “for generations of humans to come forth and enjoy the beautiful planet as we have been able to during our many years of life.”

Linda S. Broyhill ’71 knew exactly where she wanted to continue her education after high school. However, the University of Virginia (UVA) at that time didn’t allow women to attend for their first year. Her father tried to convince her to attend The College of William & Mary, but Broyhill wasn’t so sure. Aimlessly searching for an alternative, she saw an ad for Wesley College in Seventeen magazine. “I thought, ‘This looks great! It’s a small school, it’s close to home, it’s near the beach. I think I’ll go there.’ ” She applied, then came for a visit and fell in love with the campus.

At Wesley, Broyhill said she was “one of those boring people,” a classification she credits for helping her graduate with a 4.0 GPA. But beyond earning good grades, she thrived in an atmosphere that allowed her to explore new beliefs and ideals. Experiences at Wesley also helped equip this first generation career woman with the skills to tackle any adversity that would come her way.

Although Broyhill was raised and educated in the Catholic faith, she kept an open mind about Protestantism while attending a United Methodist school. Wesley students were then required to attend chapel and take a religion course. “I took Old Testament and it was one of my favorite courses. I loved going to chapel and I loved the Protestant Church and I thought, ‘Gee, maybe this is what Christianity is all about.’ At that young age, it profoundly affected my outlook on the world,” said Broyhill. The new perspective she gained was not unlike the unique experiences that many young people encounter today through higher education. The major differ­ence, however, was the time period in which she experienced college and the context of the world around her. In the early 1970s, more doors were starting to open for young women. Although women had been attending college for years, schools across the nation were still male dominated and most women graduates were pursu­ing more traditionally feminine jobs. Amongst the unrest of the Vietnam War and Women’s Liberation, Broyhill was among the first generation of women seeking a career in law.

The progressive mentoring from Wesley faculty members allowed students like Broyhill to come to their own conclusions and establish their own belief systems. Perhaps the most engaging was Uncle Louie. Broyhill remembers his English class and all the research she conducted for her paper defending women’s rights, just as landmark case Roe v. Wade altered abortion laws to protect women’s health.

Outside of the classroom, Broyhill thoroughly enjoyed living with the other young women in Budd Hall. Spending time with her dormmates, sharing the laughs and the tears, taking trips to Rehoboth Beach and the occasional mischief rounded out her education with a healthy support system. “It was the happiest time of my post high school education. I was very happy at Wesley,” she said.

After graduating from Wesley Junior College, Broyhill transferred to UVA. Although others encouraged her again to attend William & Mary, she was determined to follow her dream and go to the university she had already waited two years to attend. Her experiences there were the complete opposite of those at Wesley. The university was much larger and predominantly male. In class, Broyhill was one of only a handful of female students in classes that ranged from 150 to 250 students. At that time, the faculty was comprised of all men and some would not even call on female students “for fear they would cry.” Broyhill lived off campus in an apartment by herself and at times, she wished she was back at Wesley.

She had entered a new world for career-oriented women in America without the luxury of female mentors. Still, Broyhill faced each challenge head on and never compro­mised her goals. She graduated from UVA with her B.S. in Education in 1973 and decided to return to UVA six years later to pursue a degree in law. She hoped to help the family business, Broyhill Enterprises, Inc., by practicing real estate law. “I thought I had the right skills and it was that time in our country where women were empowered to go into male dominated professions.”

Shortly after graduating from law school in 1983, Broyhill worked for Hazel & Thomas, P.C., a small real estate firm where she ended up practicing bankruptcy law. In 1992, she practiced at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP. By 2003, Broyhill was practicing both bankruptcy and real estate in her current position at international firm Reed Smith LLP in Falls Church, Virginia. A little over a year ago, she was elected by her peers and the publishers of Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite as one of Virginia’s “Best Bankruptcy Attorneys”. One of her greatest memories and accomplishments was when her firm filed and confirmed the first Chapter 11 reorganization plan for a Class I Railroad in the United States under the new Bankruptcy Code.

Broyhill now lives in Vienna, Virginia with her husband Robert Lawrence, who is also an attorney. Although free time is scarce for the couple, Broyhill says she enjoys that time indulging her “passion for fashion.” She also loves to spend time in her garden and likes to cook, particularly in the winter months. Her husband is an accomplished saxophonist and loves to entertain when they have get-togethers with family or friends.

Despite the long hours of such a demanding career, Broyhill served her local American Red Cross board for the past 20 years, the last three of which she served as chair. As a native of Arlington, Virginia and a resident of Fairfax County since 1960 when the area was still very rural, Broyhill is very proud of how the area has grown and prospered since then. “Fairfax County and Tyson’s Corner have become one of the largest, most populous areas in Virginia. I enjoyed watching the transformation of my hometown into a little thriving city.” Serving and providing leadership to her local Red Cross chap­ter was very meaningful because it allowed her to give back to the community she loves and still be dedicated to her profession.

Looking back on her career, Broyhill credits Wesley College for providing the building blocks for a lifetime of success. “Wesley helped me get into UVA and law school and gave me the foundation that makes me who I am now,” she said. She jokes that her greatest accomplishment may be surviving 20 years of practicing law. “It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure.”

Her advice to currents students, especially young women, who are considering a career in law is to realize the inevitable sacrifices that come with such an ambitious career path. “This is a stressful job. It is a lot of responsibility and long hours,” she noted. Yet, she is quick to note the highlights of her field. “In the entire practice of law what I enjoy the most is when I have a diagnostic challenge. I like being able to find a way to fix a problem or find an answer to a question no one else can find. That’s what I have always excelled at,” she said.

When Broyhill graduated from Wesley, she received a small silver candy dish as a reward for her perfect GPA. Recently, she found the tarnished silver memento, had it polished and now proudly displays it in her home. “Whenever I see it, it reminds me of Wesley and all the fond memories.” To this day, she still considers it one of her most cherished possessions.

By Leigh Ann Little ’09

As years pass, change is inevitable for both the College as well as its graduates. However, for many former students who called Wesley home, the memories created on campus have endured the test of time. For a particular group of alumni from the Class of 1959, the 50th anniversary of their Wesley graduation is quickly approaching. Three members of the class formerly known as the “Three Musketeers”— Sara “Sally” (Kendrick) Cavanagh, Rovaldia “Val” (Megee) Hyde and Edna “Edie” (Whittle) Rogers — have planned to make the trip back to Wesley’s campus this October, as they have every five years, to relive a time in each of their lives when they not only found each other but also found themselves.

“I didn’t have a career objective or plan,” said Hyde. “However once I arrived at Wesley, I began to think seriously about my education and future.”

Hyde came to Wesley from Frankford, Delaware. Her older sister Edith had attended the College, so she knew the campus well. Never having been away from home, she was itching to meet new friends and have new experiences. “I just loved campus life in general. I liked living in the dorms. There were a number of us who never went home on the weekends and we all bonded,” said Hyde.

On her very first day on campus, she met Rogers from Demarest, New Jersey. Coming from a high school of 2,500 students, Rogers never had the chance to participate in clubs and organizations because they would fill up so quickly. She said, “When I came to Wesley I was used to just signing up for everything, but then they ended up calling me back for everything, which was a big surprise!” Attending a small college like Wesley finally gave Rogers the chance to get involved. “I ended up doing all kinds of things — meeting a lot of new people and having a lot of fun.”

Rovaldia “Val” (Megee) Hyde

Although Hyde was living down the hall in the dormitory, she grew closest to Rogers and her roommate Sally Cavanagh. Cavanagh also had an older sister, Sonia, who attended the College so she also came to Wesley with a good sense of its close campus community. “Since I am from suburban Pennsylvania, I kind of liked the idea of Old Main. We lived there and had classes there. I liked knowing that I would know everyone and it was a compact setting,” said Cavanagh.

One of Cavanagh’s fondest memories was working in the dining hall, housed in Richardson Hall. There she served her classmates, faculty and staff members. On one particular occasion, she remembers arguing with the chef to get some more fried chicken for President Slaybaugh, Professor Wells and Miss Browning, only to return empty-handed having to explain that ‘They had enough’ according to the chef.” It was moments like those that Cavanagh now realizes had a very profound effect on her at the time. She said, “Dealing directly with the president and professors somehow gave me confidence to speak to people in different places. I somehow turned it into something positive.”

With Wesley being such a small school, the students were used to seeing faculty and staff around campus just as much as they saw their classmates. “It wasn’t just a job to them; it was a lifestyle,” said Hyde. The three ladies recalled fond memories of many of their old mentors, such as Mr. and Mrs. Kilby and Mr. and Mrs. Titus. Even the president’s wife, Gertrude Slayba ugh, played a huge role in teaching the girls social skills. Cavanagh recalled, “Mrs. Slaybaugh was on campus every day stamping and sealing envelopes. She was very serious about her job as a college president’s wife and spent a lot of time at it.” She added, “Mr. Wells was my favorite professor. He was just such a dynamic person. He was very funny but very stern too.”

After graduation, Rogers and her good friend Joanne (Spital) Fields moved to Washington, D.C. to find jobs. It was there that Rogers met her husband Joseph and had two daughters, Jill and Deborah. Eventually, she was hired as a kindergarten aid for the Fairfax County School District and later became an assistant librarian. After 28 years working at a job she loved, Rogers retired. Her family has grown and she now has four grandchildren.

Edna “Edie” (Whittle) Rogers

Hyde moved to Pennsylvania where she was married and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Neumann College. She spent most of her career in health care management, working for Crozer Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania. Hyde now lives in Seminole, Florida with her husband of 47 years, Carl. Now retired, she enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, working at her church, sewing and reading. She comes back to Delaware every summer to visit her sister.

Cavanagh eventually moved to California with her husband and children. There she attended California State University, Long Beach. She worked as a probation/parole officer and later came back to Delaware where she became a social worker. She now has four daughters, nine  grandsons and one granddaughter.

All three women have taken courses at other colleges since leaving Wesley, but all three agree that Wesley is their college home. “I enjoy being able to list off all those people from Wesley who provided authority and guidance when I needed it, which was probably on a regular basis,” said Cavanagh. “I can’t list off those personalities from Cal State, Long Beach.”

Hyde added, “If Wesley had been a four year school at the time, I would have stayed and finished there.”

Fifty years later these three friends have kept their Wesley memories alive by talking regularly and planning ahead for visits. Throughout the years they have reminded one another of all the fun they had on campus, whether it was the time they had to teach the new basketball coach how to play half court, being left sleeping in the dorm during a fire drill, or swapping gowns and getting all dressed up for the dances. “I think reunions are the key and as time goes by, it’s become more important for us to return every five years,” said Hyde. “Since this is our 50th, I’m really looking forward to seeing those classmates who haven’t been back.”

Cavanagh, Hyde and Rogers encourage all their classmates to join them for a fun-filled Homecoming weekend, including a tour of their old stomping grounds. “It was such a wonderful time in our lives. Why wouldn’t you want to come back and remember those days?” said Hyde.

Though the campus has grown physically and in enrollment numbers, there is still that same spirit on campus which should be familiar to returning alumni. Perhaps Rogers best summarized the common thread of the Wesley experience when she expressed, “Going to Wesley gave me confidence, a sense of self, new lifelong friendships and knowledge of a greater world outside of my hometown.” Wesley College continues to provide that experience for each student who passes through its halls and will always be a place that alumni can call home. W

Rogers, Cavanagh and Hyde

By Elise Marie Knable ’09

“Those were pretty trying days at Wesley, particularly in the financial situation of the College, but the entire community was there to support Wesley and that shows even today,” Richard Gordon ’59 remarked about his time on campus. Gordon came to what was then Wesley Junior College after spending a year at Duke University. For Gordon, Wesley was not just a place of education, but one that changed him for the better and was an important stepping stone in his life’s journey.

Growing up in Frederica, Delaware, Gordon attended Caesar Rodney High School and then moved onto Duke University. After a year of school at Duke, Gordon realized “it wasn’t my cup of tea.” He signed up for the volunteer draft, although remembers being told he would never be drafted. Upon returning to Delaware from Duke, Gordon’s family adamantly insisted he go back to school, compelling him to enroll at Wesley. While attending his first semester there, he received orders that he was to be drafted and left school to serve two years with the United States Army. Once discharged, Gordon returned to Wesley in September 1957 to study liberal arts.

That year was a critical time both for Gordon, experiencing a new setting and adjusting to civilian life, and Wesley as an institution, almost closing its doors on June 15, 1957. Just one year prior, financial problems and dissatisfaction from the Methodists of the Peninsula Conference threatened the future of the institution. Fortunately, the Board of Trustees received approval from Bishop Oxnam to continue operations and President Slaybaugh announced the rousing efforts to save Wesley. These included a $10,000 challenge fund started by students, with $6,000 already raised with the help of parents and others; the creation of an Alumni Association corporation to raise additional funds among graduates and friends of the College; and financial sacrifices by faculty. Remembering the difficulties Wesley faced, Gordon pointed out the importance of “the camaraderie of the student body, faculty, Board of Trustees and the administration” at that time. He explained, “There were special things going on in and around the area of Wesley to help support the College…it became a family affair.”

As College alumni, students, trustees, staff and friends pooled resources with the Peninsula Conference and local government and community leaders to secure funds for a $1.5 million dollar redevelopment program for the institution, Gordon and his classmates were fortunate to be preparing for an upcoming academic year at the revived school. At this turning point for Wesley, the campus grew with the addition of several new buildings and a boost in enrollment over the next couple years. At the same time, the small class sizes and individual attention that Gordon remembers being given in his classes remained consistent characteristics of the College that still exist today.

“We were a close knit group and the communication was good in both ways. If we needed help, we got it. And if the professors needed something from us, they got what they needed,” Gordon explained. He observed how passionate Wesley professors were about their students’ education and success. “The teachers really cared. They were interested in you and your education,” he said. He remembers the general feeling on campus that each individual was a member of the family that existed there, unlike what he had experienced at a larger university. He reminisced, “You just felt a part of everything. You felt a part of the school just by walking down the hall. That surprised me to see.” Despite being a commuter student, Gordon joined his peers in enjoying many campus sporting events, dances and other student activities throughout the year.

For Gordon, Wesley successfully instilled a new desire for education that he did not have before. “It certainly changed my outlook on college,” he said. “It made me want to get a degree and finish my education.” After graduating from Wesley, he studied government and public administration at American University and after earning his degree there, moved down to Bristol, Virginia with his first wife.

Gordon found his calling while living there and became heavily involved with his community. From 1962 to 1972, he was a member of the Bristol Junior Chamber of Commerce, and in 1969 he was awarded the Outstanding Young Man of the Year award for his participation in numerous community groups and organizations. In 1974, he ran for city council and received the most votes among his 13 competitors. He ran for re-election in 1978 and again won, convincing the city council to elect him as mayor the following year.

During his term as mayor, Gordon was appointed to the Mount Roger’s Planning District Commission, a group which aided in numerous planning projects, from industrialization to parks, for an eight county area and two independent cities. From 1978 to 1994, Gordon served on the Commission in various roles, acting as chairman at one point. “We were involved with a lot of projects like water and sewer plans and had to work with the state and federal levels to attain the funds needed for the plans,” Gordon explained. During his time on the Commission, the group was instrumental in helping to modernize that area of rural Virginia with new roads and industrial parks, and move its economy from agricultural to industrial production. “Some of the parks have flourished over the past eight to ten years because of the continued support that we initially got,” Gordon stated.

Along with his community involvement, Gordon worked for the Electrolux Corporation for 291/2 years as a purchasing agent. Remarried in November 2007 and now living in Bristol, Tennessee as a retired member of the community, he spends time with his wife Doris, his son R. Burton Gordon Jr., the director of residential life at the Asheville School in North Carolina, his daughter Susan G. Henry and her eight-year-old twin girls Kristina and Diana. Gordon also enjoys playing tennis as well as his involvement with the Central Presbyterian Church and the men’s bible study group he attends weekly.

Gordon recalled a trip he made to Wesley’s campus four years ago and his overall amazement at the sight of his alma mater. He said, “It is remarkable to see what has happened at Wesley…the people at Wesley now should really have pride in what has been done around the campus such as building renovations and the College Center.” Since he now finds it more difficult to travel, he will be unable to return for his 50th class reunion but did advise his classmates, “If you can make the trip or live in the area, I would certainly encourage you to get up and go, not only to see your classmates, but to see the outstanding Wesley campus that most won’t recognize if they haven’t seen it in years.”

Gordon underscores the significance of education in today’s world and Wesley’s niche as a small, private liberal arts college. He said, “The school needs to remain a vibrant part of the community, and it needs the support of alums to continue. Whether it is monetarily or to attend functions at the College, go there and support Wesley.” With his experience in public service having shown him the importance of community support for educational institutions, he believes that local residents in a college town also should participate as much as possible and show their support “because as the college grows, the area around it will grow with it.” He continued, “It is important to see what has been done and what can be done to enhance the world that these young people are growing up in today.”

Wesley College will forever be significant in Gordon’s life, not only because of the drive for education he developed there, but also the valuable experiences he had. “Wesley taught me that camaraderie and association with a group of people which I later used in my career to get a job done. This is what life is all about. It’s a stepping stone; each level in your life hopefully prepares you for a better life ahead.” W