Retiring Faculty Profile: Nan Miller, assistant professor of English
By Leesha Austin, '02

"In my 26 years in the classroom, I never lost my amazement that someone would actually pay me to stand up in front of a class and talk about great books," reflected Nan Miller, who retired from her position as assistant professor of English at the end of the Spring 2004 semester.

While assistant professor of English, Miller also served as director of the Meredith Learning Center from 1987-2000. Each semester she taught one composition course and one literature survey, and each spring she taught a tutor training course, which prepared students to assist their peers in the Learning Center.

Miller described her decision to give up the Learning Center as "one of the hardest decisions I've ever made." However, she felt she had reached the point that she wanted to try something different without completely separating herself from academia.

"That something different is actually what attracted me to English in the first place," explained Miller. She had had some luck with writing and started contributing articles to "Authors Ink," the newsletter for the Dickens Fellowship.

Miller and "Authors Ink" editor Elliot Engel are now planning to put together a collection of essays, and Miller added, "I have a couple of other schemes brewing as well."

She also plans to remain active in two book clubs and to spend more time with her four grandchildren, whom she considers the "smartest, cutest children on planet earth" and with her 88-year-old mother, whom she considers the source of her passion for literature.

As she reflected on her favorite Meredith memories, Miller considered her joy for teaching and shared her fear that "nothing in retirement can replace that thrill." And she concluded, "Having access to the best and brightest students who became tutors in the Learning Center is, hands down, the greatest privilege I had in my professional life."

Retiring Faculty Profile: Allen Page, professor of religion
By Erin Hege, '04

Allen Page joined Meredith as a member of the Religion and Philosophy department in 1973. He received degrees from Mars Hill College and Wake Forest University before earning a master's degree in divinity from the Union Theological Seminary and receiving his doctorate from Duke University.

Page taught the religious spectrum during his 30 years at Meredith. His courses included Old Testament, New Testament, Introduction to Biblical Literature and History, Prophets, Issues Concerning Women and Religion, Changing Concepts of Humanity, Death and Dying, and Jesus at the Movies. Page delivered the 2004 Faculty Distinguished Lecture titled "The Many Faces of Jesus." (Nutshell, April 2004)

During his time at Meredith, he served as department head of religion and philosophy, dean of undergraduate instruction and registration, and interim chief academic officer.

Page also accompanied students overseas and taught the Protestant Reformation course as a part of the Meredith Abroad program.

In his retirement Page plans to schedule more time for visiting his children and grandchildren. His more flexible schedule will also allow him to enjoy his favorite pastimes: visiting the beach, gardening, reading and writing. He also plans to do some part-time teaching.

Page said, "My favorite thing about Meredith was getting to know the students both inside of class and beyond. That will be hard to leave."

Retiring Faculty Profile: Carolyn Happer, associate professor of history
By Erin Hege, '04

Carolyn Happer, associate professor of history, first came to Meredith College to teach in 1964. After taking many years off to raise children she returned to Meredith part time in 1991 and became a full-time faculty member in 1994.

Happer received her B.A. and Ph. D. from Duke University and her M.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her love for a wide variety of history allowed her to teach many different courses at Meredith including U.S. Survey, North Carolina History, History of the South, Women's History, Twentieth Century, and Holocaust.

Happer said, "My favorite course to teach was Western Civilization, especially the first semester, and Social Studies Methods was by far the most challenging."

Happer herself is a living history. Her fondest memories of Meredith can be placed in a timeline starting with her winning the faculty/student tennis tournament while she was pregnant, teaching (CNN Prime Anchor) Judy Woodruff, going to Italy with the Meredith Abroad program and to China with Professor of Education Beth Weir, and her associations with visiting Chinese scholars.

Happer said, "The first and foremost favorite memory I have is of the thousand plus students whom I have taught. I also treasure my long association with Carolyn Grubbs and my friendships with my colleagues. I will always cherish the memories of playing tennis with Mrs. (Nan) Miller, Dr. (Bill) Price, and Dr. (Bernie) Cochran, hanging out with Dr. (Janice) Swab, and drinking lots of coffee with Dr. Price."

In her retirement, Happer plans to finish a project she is working on with Duke University, continue teaching some at Meredith, teach a semester in China and paint her kitchen cabinets.

As she concluded her 18th year of teaching, Happer said, "I will miss Meredith, but I hope to continue the warm, friendly association over a very long period of time."

Retiring Faculty Profile: Nona Short, professor of photography and foreign languages
By Erin Hege, '04

Nona Short retired in May after 38 years of teaching photography and the classics.

Short taught all levels of Latin and Photography, along with Roman Comedy, Roman Historians, Medieval Latin, Classical Mythology, Caesar, Virgil, Beginning German and Classical and Medieval Art History. She holds degrees in the classics from the University of Mississippi and the University of Wisconsin. She also studied the classics and German at the University of Munich in Germany on a Fulbright Fellowship.

Some of Short's favorite memories include her interactions with her mentors when she first arrived at Meredith.

She said, "Dr. Mary Lynch Johnson, Dr. Norma Rose and Dr. Ione Knight were extremely valuable as mentors and examples in my first years here."

Short also recalls the founding of the N.C. Photographers Annual Competition and Exhibition and has enjoyed all the amateur and professional photographers they have brought to Meredith for over 25 years.

In her retirement she plans to keep auditing courses while enjoying some personal time.

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