A farm boy and Eagle Scout from Kenesaw, Nebraska, Stoner studied at �㽶��Ƶ under chemistry professor Arnold Alberts and mathematics professor James Standley, who became his mentors and friends. He excelled in the classroom, received a teaching fellowship to the graduate program in chemistry at Iowa State University and was awarded graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Texaco Corporation and Proctor and Gamble Corporation. He earned his doctorate in chemistry in 1964.

Grateful for the undergraduate experiences that launched his career and eager to leave a legacy at his alma mater, Stoner in 2015 established the Dr. M. Robert Stoner Endowed Scholarship Fund at �㽶��Ƶ, which supports students majoring in chemistry, mathematics or physics.

In the estate distributed after his death in December 2024, Stoner added to the corpus of the endowed scholarship with a generous bequest. The �㽶��Ƶ Foundation will preserve the gift as principal and use only a percentage of the yearly growth for scholarship aid. In this way, the funds will support students now and for future generations.

“Bob loved his time at �㽶��Ƶ and wanted to ensure current students had the same kind of opportunities,” said Dr. Phil Dudley, president emeritus and gift officer with the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation. “Each time I visited with him, he said how thankful he was for the �㽶��Ƶ professors who mentored and prepared him for graduate school and a career in college teaching.”

Stoner also reflected on his experiences in the arts at �㽶��Ƶ. An honorary member of Alpha Psi Omega national dramatics society, he headed up the lighting and sound crews for several theater productions.

“As a student concentrating on science and mathematics courses, I appreciated the opportunity to be part of the backstage crews in the college dramatic productions,” he wrote years later in an alumni class note.

Stoner was a dedicated and involved alumnus, serving as a class agent for scholarship campaigns, attending reunions and giving annually to the 1882 Fund.

To make a gift to the M. Robert Stoner Endowed Scholarship Fund, or call the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation at 402.461.7363.

About Dr. M. Robert Stoner (source: )

Stoner joined the faculty at the University of South Dakota in 1964 and served the chemistry department until his retirement in 2001. He taught organic chemistry at the undergraduate and graduate level, organic and biochemistry for non-science majors, and elective courses in polymer chemistry, chemistry in the marketplace and environmental chemistry. He had an “open door” policy, and each day could be found in his office helping and motivating students. He led a research program in organic photochemistry and worked side-by-side with his students as they developed research skills.

In addition to his teaching, Stoner was active with First United Methodist Church Vermillion where he sang and soloed for the choir and taught Sunday School classes. He enjoyed hiking, photography, stamp collecting and spending time with family in the Black Hills of South Dakota and in Washington State.

At the August 2024 reunion, classmate Ronda Tycer of Incline Village, Nevada, announced the creation of the Barbara (Anderson) Sergeant Scholarship at �㽶��Ƶ. Sergeant, who earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at �㽶��Ƶ in 1968 and was active in the music program, has been integral in organizing her high school reunion every five years since graduation. She lives in Hastings.

“The feedback from the class was uniformly positive — ‘well deserved’ and ‘excellent idea,’” Tycer said.

Over the next five months, classmates gave $34,212, exceeding the newly established $25,000 threshold to fully endow a scholarship. Forty-two people from 14 states coast-to-coast contributed.

In recognition of Sergeant’s music and education background, �㽶��Ƶ will award the endowed scholarship to a Hastings High School graduate pursuing a music major or minor or majoring in elementary teacher education. The first distribution will be in the fall of 2026.

An unexpected honor

Sergeant was “dumbfounded and stunned” when the scholarship was announced at the Class of 1964’s reunion.

“It has always been a close class, and we’ve tried hard to keep everyone connected. But it was beyond words what it meant to have them do that. I did what I did because I wanted to, and I didn’t expect anything in return,” she said.

In addition to her decades of work as class reunion organizer, Sergeant taught first and second graders in the Hastings Public Schools for 36 years, mostly at Alcott Elementary. A talented musician, she has been organist at the United Methodist Church for 60-plus years and taught piano to numerous local children.

“Barbara is good-hearted to the bone. She has admirable energy and organizational skills and a lively sense of humor. She is always helpful if she can be,” Tycer said. “These skills have resulted in her being the glue that keeps the 1964 class connected.”

Classmate Lyle Fleharty of Hastings, former member of the �㽶��Ƶ Board of Trustees, agrees.

“She’s been organizing reunions every five years since we graduated. She also keeps track of the class throughout the year, even reading obituaries and letting us know when one of our class members has passed. Her efforts have been endless,” he said.

Steve Traut, a classmate living in Vienna, Virginia, credits Sergeant for 60 years of class camaraderie and connection.

“That’s a long time for Barbara to hold a high school class together, and that’s what she’s done. I dare say you can’t find another Hastings High School class that’s met every five years. We have Barbara to thank for that. It’s been amazing,” he said.

Classmate Mary (Lainson) Olsen of Hastings, a 1969 HC graduate, has known Sergeant since the 4th grade when she moved from a farm to a home across the street from the Lainsons.

“I admire her so much,” Olsen said. “She does everything for our class without complaint. She’s a remarkable woman – very talented in so many areas.”

Gifts that keep giving

The �㽶��Ƶ Foundation will preserve gifts to the Barbara (Anderson) Sergeant Endowed Scholarship as principal and use only a percentage of the yearly growth for scholarship aid. In this way, the funds will support students now and for future generations.

“Given the quick success of the campaign, it’s obvious that Barbara’s classmates hold her in high regard and appreciate her work in organizing reunions over the years,” said Chelsea LeMar ’07, executive director of the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation. “The scholarship is the perfect ‘thank you’ in that it preserves Barbara’s legacy at �㽶��Ƶ while benefiting the next generations of musicians and educators.”

Gifts to the endowed scholarship are still being accepted. To make a gift, click here or call the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation at 402.461.7363.

By Judee Konen ‘85

The roots of Will Locke’s passion for trees go back to his childhood in the 1940s and 1950s when he visited his grandparents’ small farms northeast of Wichita, Kansas.

“They had no irrigation and a lot of wind and heat, so they planted trees to take care of the land,” he said. “When I visited, they usually had me plant trees to keep me busy. Today we would call it environmental stewardship.”

Decades later at age 84, the emeritus professor of teacher education and 1961 alumnus is a constant presence on campus as the volunteer steward of the �㽶��Ƶ Arboretum, which spans 120 acres and includes more than 1,000 trees ranging from American Elms and Northern Red Oaks to Colorado Blue Spruces and Douglas Firs.

Under the guidance of maintenance manager Paul Dooley (“I’ve learned so much from him,” Locke said), he spends hundreds of hours each year planting and pruning trees, tending the tree nursery and inspecting trees for damage or disease. Certified as a Nebraska Master Gardener, Locke also serves on the City Tree Board and is a sought-after resource for local residents looking for guidance on tree planting and maintenance.

“No matter what the weather, there’s hardly a day that goes by that I don’t see Will driving around in his red pickup truck checking on trees or walking across campus with a group giving an arboretum tour,” said Dr. Rich Lloyd ‘85, president. “He’s a real treasure for our campus and community.”

This story originally appeared in the 2023 HC Today.

A deeper meaning

Locke explains his love for trees by mentioning their well-known benefits — shade, beauty, land preservation and cleaner air — but his passion also has a deeper meaning.

“Trees are a metaphor for life,” he said. “Like us, trees grow and reproduce, they have challenges and they recover. They have connections like our families.”

He points out the towering American Elm between the Wilson Center and Babcock Hall, one of the original 227 trees planted on empty pasture by local Presbyterians on April 25, 1883, after the groundbreaking for McCormick Hall. Locke delivers seeds from the tree to the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum where they are germinated in a greenhouse. Copyrighted by the state arboretum as “HC American Elms,” the progenies are sent to places around Nebraska, with about a dozen planted at �㽶��Ƶ.

“There’s going to be an HC American Elm on campus for the next 200 years,” Locke said.

�㽶��Ƶ has been designated a Tree Campus USA for the past eight years. In 2021, the College was honored with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s Affiliate Excellence Award for developing the campus landscape as a teaching and learning tool for students and visitors.

“The state recognized Hastings not only because our campus looks good but also because of student service,” Locke said. “I think we’re exceptional in that way. We record 700 hours of service for the arboretum each year including students, faculty and other volunteers.”

Students helped plant the tree nursery behind Lynn Farrell Arena and the rain garden west of Morrison-Reeves Science Center. On campus service days, they spread wood chips around shrubbery and plant crabapple trees along the Circle Drive. The experiences connect them to the natural world and �㽶��Ƶ for a lifetime, Locke said.

“These students are always going to plant trees. If you plant a tree when you’re young, you’re going to keep doing it,” he said. “The students also remain bonded with the College. They’ll come back to campus and look at the trees or gardens they planted.”

Locke works with the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation on a Tribute Tree program that allows individuals to sponsor the planting of a tree in honor or in memory of a special person or group. A plaque at the base of each of the nearly 60 tribute trees designates species, donor and honored person.

As he makes his rounds checking trees, Locke carries a four-inch binder and well-worn maps that document the species and location of each tree on campus. More than mere records, they remind the veteran educator of his own growth as a lifelong learner and teacher.

“The whole �㽶��Ƶ experience sets you up constantly to ask questions and keep learning and engaging with people,” he said. “Because of trees, I am still able to do that.”

By Judee Konen ’85

After his retirement from competitive shooting, Anderson dedicated his time to coaching young shooters, teaching shooting clinics, and speaking at shooting sports functions. He has authored several hundred magazine articles and four books on shooting. As vice president of the International Shooting Sports Federation, Anderson oversaw all the shooting events at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Anderson has said that he wasn’t born with any special talent, just the drive to work harder than anyone else.