Whytheville Community College Graduates Class of 2009

Wytheville Community College celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2009 during two commencement exercises held May 8. Degrees were conferred on nearly 370 students. Both commencement ceremonies were held at the Wytheville Meeting Center adjoining the WCC campus.

During the May 8 ceremony, WCC recognized graduates from WCC’s General Education, Business, and Occupational/Technology programs, while graduates of the college’s Health Care Professions programs were recognized during the May 9 event.

The Wythe County Junior ROTC color guard presented the United States and Virginia flags during the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem at the beginning of the Friday ceremony. The Carroll County Junior ROTC color guard handled the same duty at the Saturday ceremony.

William M. Dixon, Chair of the College Board, gave a welcome and introduced platform dignitaries and special guests. On Friday and Saturday, Gary C. Hancock, Vice-Chair of the State Board for Community Colleges, brought greetings from the State Board. Student commentary was provided during both ceremonies by Daniella Harmon, who was this year’s President of the WCC Student Government Association.

At the Friday ceremony, WCC President Charlie White conferred an Honorary Associate Degree in Humane Letters upon Nathaniel W. Pendleton, Jr. Click here to see a photograph of WCC President Charlie White (center) as he prepares to confer an Honorary Associate Degree in Humane Letters upon Nathaniel W. Pendleton, Jr. (right). At left is WCC Board Chair William M. Dixon, Jr. Photo is courtesy of Wytheville Community College.

Pendleton has been a long-time supporter of Wytheville Community College. His personal and financial support has clearly contributed to the overall progress and development of Wytheville Community College. In 1990, Pendleton established WCC’s prestigious “Distinguished Service Awards Program” through a generous endowment given in memory of his father, Nathaniel W. Pendleton, Sr. This program, which includes a Distinguished Teaching Award and a Distinguished Service Award, was designed to recognize excellence in teaching and to acknowledge outstanding individual service to the college.

Additionally, the Pendleton family and Pendleton Construction Corporation have also funded two scholarship endowments that provide annual awards to Wytheville Community College students.

Pendleton’s father, Nathaniel W. Pendleton, Sr., served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was instrumental in helping pass legislation in 1962 that established Wytheville Community College and provided its initial operating funds. Pendleton Construction generously donated materials to create the mountain-shaped stone sign that marks the entrance to the college’s main campus. Pendleton was instrumental in completing this work, and the sign has since become the basis for the college’s logo.

Nathaniel Pendleton Jr., is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a graduate of the University of Virginia Darden School with a Master of Business Administration. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer. Since working with Pendleton Construction, Pendleton has also managed road and building construction projects on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and in Fort Myers, Florida.
Upon receiving his honorary degree, Pendleton addressed the Friday night audience: “I would like to praise the Founders of the college, most of whom are no longer with us, for having the foresight to recognize the importance of establishing a college in Wytheville to serve Bland, Carroll, the City of Galax, Grayson, Smyth and Wythe counties. Further, I would like to credit the Commonwealth of Virginia for establishing the Community College System and for including this college in it.

“Additionally, I would like to commend the College's Board, the Foundation’s Board and staff and my friends Dr. Wade Gilley, Dr. Bill Snyder and Dr. Charlie White for their outstanding leadership in developing the college, its excellent facilities, faculty and staff.

“I would also like to recognize my brother William Pendleton, my brother-in-law, Tom Dupuis, and my cousin, Edmund Pendleton, and thank them for agreeing to allow each of us individually to discern and apply a portion of the funds of the Pendleton Construction Corporation Foundation as we each thought best.

“Lastly, I want to congratulate the students who are about to receive their degrees this evening, as each of you is getting your degree for the most important reason of all…you earned it!”

Following the presentation of the honorary degree, WCC President Charlie White announced that Larry D. Liddle, retired Associate Professor of Mathematics, had been named the 2009 Professor Emeritus at WCC. Professor Emeritus is an honor that may be bestowed on retired WCC faculty members who have held faculty rank, had a minimum of ten years of service, and made meritorious and significant contributions to the College.

Liddle earned his bachelor’s degree in 1966 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and his master’s degree in 1970 from the University of South Carolina. He joined the faculty at WCC in 1970 and taught mathematics until his retirement as an Associate Professor in June of 2002.

During his full-time tenure at WCC, Liddle served on numerous college standing committees and was a long-time member and regional vice-president and treasurer of the Virginia Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges.

He was also honored by the college in May of 2007 with its Distinguished Service Award for Excellence in Teaching.
President White next announced that Betty C. Bear had been named Support Staff Emeritus for 2009. This recognition honors retired support staff personnel who served WCC for a minimum of ten years and whose performance and contributions were meritorious.

Bear joined the staff at WCC in 1985 as a Fiscal Assistant in the Business Office. From 1990-93 she held the title of Fiscal Technician and from 1993-2000, she was a Fiscal Technician Senior. In 2000, she became an Administrative and Program Specialist III in the Human Resources Office, a position she held until her retirement in January of 2007.

Following the awarding of the Professor Emeritus and Support Staff Emeritus, Dr. Ron Proffitt, Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, presented the Class of 2009 to President White, who conferred the degrees. Each graduate then came forward to receive his or her degree or certificate from White, including a number of graduates of the Old Dominion University TELETECHNET program, which is located on the WCC campus. Proffitt and White followed the same procedure during the Saturday afternoon commencement.

Two graduation ceremonies were instituted in 2008 because the Wytheville Meeting Center could not accommodate the approximately 3,000 people who have attended the college’s annual commencement exercises in past years.

WCC’s total number of graduates for the year was 467.

Wytheville Community College was founded in 1963 as a branch of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1967, WCC became a member of the newly-established Virginia Community College System.