Pryor Scrapbook Clippings, 1983-1997

NATIONAL HONOR SCHOLARSHIP SOCIETY Dr. John Michael White Chemist Is Top Alumnus Dr. John Michael White, a professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, has been chosen as the first recipient of the society's Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. White will be honored at the opening banquet of the national convention on 12 March, when he will receive a plaque and will address the convention audience. The award WdS established by the National Council to recognize individuals who ex- -.::- emplify Alpha Chi's ideals of scholarship and character leading to effective service and who can serve as role models for current members. Chapters were invited to nominate their outstanding former members. Dr. White was nominated by Harding University, Searcy, Ark., where he was a 1960 graduate. He also was honored in 1985 as the university's Outstanding Alumnus from the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1960-61 he received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and began doctoral study in physical chemistry-chemical physics at the University of Illinois. He subsequently received a fellowship from that university and then WdS a teaching assistant with his major professor at California Institute of Technology before receiving his Ph.D. from Illinois in 1966. Dr. White joined the faculty at the Univer– sity of Te:xas in 1966 as an assistant professor and was made a full professor in 1976. He served as chairman of the department for 1979-84 and in 1985 was appointed tJ:ie Nor– man Hackerman Professor of Chemistry. He has served since 1967 as a visiting staff member of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M., and for a year was program officer for the National Science Foundation. His research has been published in more than l'iU articles in refereed journals. Dr. White was president of the Arkansas Eta chapter of Alpha Chi at Harding in 1959-60 and received the Region II scholar– ship. Arkansas Eta was host for the Region II convention that year, and he presented a student paper and presided at one session. MARCH 1987 Williamsburg, Agenda Ready For Delegates A rich program of scholarly and artistic presentations by students and guest speakers, awards announcements, elections and historical tours of Colonial Williamsburg awaits the more than 400 delegates expected at the national convention 12-14 March in Williamsburg, Va. Because of the attraction of the location, National Council officers have expressed special enthusiasm for the biennial conven– tion and are hopeful that attendance will be the best ever. To capitalize on the popular setting, the convention format, which tradi– tionally has given an afternoon for sight– seeing, has been revised to allow a whole - clay of free touring at Colonial Wtlliamsburg. The $10 convention registration fee will in– clude a ticket for admission to about a dozen Williamsburg attractions, and delegates may upgrade their tickets at their own cost if they wish to visit more buildings. The convention hotel, the Fort Magruder Inn, is within walking distance of the col– onial district. The hotel itself has historical interest, being on the site of a Civil War battle. The opening banquet on 12 March will · feature a speech by Dr. Robert M. Ferrell, distinguished professor of history at Indiana University and a noted Truman scholar. The banquet program also will include the presentation of the first Distinguished Alumni Award to Dr. John Michael White of the University of Texas at Austin. Sessions of student presentations will begin on Thursday evening after the banquet. Special features this year will be a session for papers preserited in Spanish and another for topics in colonial American history. After the showing of an orientation film on Friday morning, delegates will be free to visit the colonial district until its closing in late afternoon. The evening program will be more student presentations, including a (continued on page 4)