University of Richmond Alumni Presented VFIC Excellence Awards
July 26, 2002
Two University of Richmond alumni - Earl Hamner Jr., author and Emmy-award winning television writer and producer, and Desiree Stuart-Alexander, a geologist who studied moon rocks - received Alumni Excellence awards from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges July 12.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, VFIC honored two alumni from each of its 15 member colleges during an Evening of Excellence celebration at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va. Hamner and Stuart-Alexander were nominated for their awards by Richmond president William E. Cooper.
Hamner attended Richmond until being drafted in 1943. He received an honorary degree from the university in 1974. He is the author of numerous television scripts and books, including "Spencer's Mountain," which was made into a Warner Brothers film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. His novella "The Homecoming" became the basis for a television special and the series "The Waltons," which aired on CBS for eight years. In addition to receiving an Emmy, he also received the Peabody Award for Distinguished Journalism and man of the year awards from the commonwealth of Virginia and the broadcast industry. A collection of his scripts, photos, letters, recordings and other materials pertaining to his life are housed in the University of Richmond library.
Stuart-Alexander is a 1952 Richmond graduate who received an honorary degree in 1980. A noted geologist, she was the only woman selected by the U.S. Geological Survey to be on the Lunar Sample Preliminary Team for Apollo 16 and 17. Her work included studying samples of moon rocks, mapping sites for lunar landings and making geological maps from satellite images and astronaut descriptions. She is one of the leading experts in the world on the far side of the moon. She also participated in astronaut training and did extensive studies of Mars. In 1980 she became the first woman branch chief of the U.S. Geological Survey, which she joined in 1966.
In its 50-year history, the VFIC has distributed more than $100 million to member colleges for financial aid, building preservation, library acquisitions and numerous campus and statewide projects. The 2002 awards were the inaugural awards in what will be an annual recognition.