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 Approximately 25 high school educators representing 10 metropolitan high schools met recently at William Jewell College to discuss issues of diversity. The educators were nominated by principals and guidance counselors to participate in the first workshop of what will become an annual event sponsored by the Diversity Committee of William Jewell College.
“The goals of the workshop were to raise awareness of diversity issues in high schools,to share ideas and initiatives regarding diversity among high school educators, and to stimulate thinking about diversity,” according to Andy Pratt, Vice President of Religious Ministries and Dean of the Chapel at William Jewell.
Participants listened to a keynote address by Juan Rangel, Jr., Executive Director of the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Greater Kansas City region, then met in small groups to share the particular issues of their schools and the approaches to those issues. A large group session in the afternoon allowed the small groups to share ideas.
The family of Corinthian Nutter, long-time Kansas educator and civil rights activist, gave permission to name this event in her honor. A special presentation was made in the morning session. Mrs. Nutter’s niece, Carolyn Irving- Powell, and Mrs. Powell’s husband Ernest, attended the workshop and received a plaque commemorating the naming of the event. The plaque was presented to the Powells by Joy Steincross, Trustee of the College. Nutter was an unsung hero of the civil rights movement whose pioneering efforts to enhance educational facilities and opportunities for African Americans paved the way for the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. Nutter taught 39 school children in her home after they were denied admission to a white-only elementary school in South Park, Kan., in 1947 and later was the key witness in 1949’s Webb v. School District 90, a lawsuit filed on behalf of the children and their families. She later moved to Olathe, Kan., where she was a teacher and later principal at Westview Elementary School. Nutter died in February at the age of 97.
Civic leaders were honored for public service at Opening Convocation ceremonies marking the beginning of a new school year on Thursday, September 9 in John Gano Memorial Chapel.
This year’s recipients of the William F. Yates Trustee Medallion for Distinguished Service are:
 Art Brisbane, who has served as the President and Publisher of The Kansas City Star since 1997. Brisbane was the Vice President and Editor of The Star from 1992 to 1997. Prior to that time, he worked as a reporter and columnist at The Kansas City Star (1990-1992); at The Washington Post (1984-1990); and at The Kansas City Times (1979-1984). In addition to his position on the board of the Kansas City Area Development Council, Brisbane is a board member of the Partnership for Children, the Heart of America United Way and the American Royal. He serves as President of the Missouri Press Bar Commission. Brisbane resides in Kansas City, Mo., with his wife, Jo, and their three children.
SuEllen Fried, a social advocate for children, the arts, and the mentally handicapped in Kansas City. She is currently serving on the KCPT Board of Directors and has been involved with numerous other civic organizations, including Kansas Children’s Service League; the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (President); Parents As Teachers National Center; Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey; and the Johnson County Mental Health Association (President). Fried has also received recognition for her service to the American Red Cross, the National Conference of Christians and Jews (now the National Conference for Community and Justice), YWCA and the Department of Health and Human Services.
 Jonathan Kemper, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Commerce Bank. As Chairman, Kemper oversees management of the Commercial and Retail Banking groups, Information Services and the Trust Department and is a member of the Senior Loan Committee. He is responsible for the institution’s regional strategic planning and market development. In addition to his responsibilities at Commerce Bank, Kemper is actively involved in several community and business organizations, including The Downtown Council (formerly Co-Chairman); the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; Midwest Research Institute; the University of Missouri-Kansas City (Board Member, Trustee); the Kansas City Public Library; and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
 Addressing students and guests at Opening Convocation ceremonies was Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and one of the world’s leading botanists and advocates of conservation and biodiversity. Raven is Chairman of the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration; Chair of the Division of Earth and Life Studies of the National Research Council (which includes biology, chemistry and geology); and President of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Under Raven’s leadership, the Missouri Botanical Garden reaches more than 100,000 students each year and provides professional development for teachers. He is also the Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis. Described by TIME magazine as a “Hero for the Planet,” Raven is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the prestigious International Prize for Biology from the government of Japan. He was a member of the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology during the Clinton administration. In 2001, he received the National Medal of Science, the country’s highest award for scientific achievement.
 The 2005 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual guidebook “The Best 357 Colleges” has ranked William Jewell College in the number one slot in its “Best Bargains” category among the nation’s private colleges. William Jewell also scored among the top 20 in several other categories, including capturing the number two spot in “Happiest Students”; the number five slot in “Town-Gown Relations,” which indicates how well the college is integrated into the surrounding community; and the number eight slot in “Best Quality of Life.” “We have always believed that William Jewell provides an outstanding value for students seeking a top quality liberal arts education,” said President David Sallee. “We are gratified that Princeton Review has affirmed the value of the Jewell experience, and at the same time has indicated that students have expressed an extraordinary level of satisfaction with the education they are receiving.” The rankings are based on interviews with more than 110,000 U.S. college students who are asked to rank colleges in more than 60 categories, including academics, political leaning, quality of life, cafeteria food, dormitories, social life and extracurricular activities. “It is important also to note that William Jewell continues to provide an experience that is firmly grounded in a rigorous academic tradition,” says Dr. John Westlie, Dean of the College and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Solid academics are the foundation of everything we do at Jewell, and our students recognize the value of the college’s rich academic tradition.”
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