By Daniel Brasington ’25
Terriers prepare to return to campus for the Wofford community’s largest celebration of the fall, Homecoming, Oct. 24-26, and the focus this year is on alumni, community and excellence.
During the weekend, the college’s Alumni Association will recognize six graduates for leadership, service and professional achievement. The Alumni Service Awards will be presented from 10-11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Pavilion (beside Wightman Hall).
In addition to the popular history Sip and Stroll, All-Alumni Band Party, and football game and tailgate, new events this year include an Alumni Book Signing and Alumni Art Exhibition. Reunions will be held for classes ending in ’4 or ’9, as well as a reunion for Orientation staff alumni.
Below is the Homecoming schedule as well as bios for Alumni Association award winners. To register or learn more, visit Wofford.edu/homecoming.
ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARDS
Distinguished Citizen Awards are presented to members of the community who have served distinguished careers and have contributed extraordinary service to humanity, reflecting honor upon the recipients and Wofford College.
Foster B. McLane III ’69
Foster McLane ’69 served as a U.S. Army combat infantryman in Vietnam. His many military accolades include a Combat Infantryman Badge, a Bronze Star and a Master Fitness Trainer Badge. After his discharge in late 1970, he worked over a period of 15 years in various professional fields, including textiles, automobile remanufacturing, deaf/hard-of-hearing education and sealant manufacturing. He also owned and operated G.I. Party Landscaping for 15 years. McLane rejoined the South Carolina Army National Guard in 1983 and was returned to active duty. He served 20 years with the 228th Signal Brigade, retiring as a sergeant major in 2002. McLane always has been committed to serving his church, community, country and college.
Dr. William H. Riley III ’69
Bill Riley ’69 was a U.S. Army infantry officer in Vietnam, serving as a platoon leader and company commander. Later, he earned a master’s in business administration and a doctorate in public administration. A certified general appraiser, he spent more than 48 years in property appraisal and tax administration in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Riley served as the assistant director of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, where he spearheaded the development and implementation of one of the first statewide computer-assisted mass appraisal systems. He then became the director of the Real Property Tax Administration. Professionally at the top of his career, he always found time to offer his expertise in the community.
CHARLES H. GRAY ’72
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
The Charles H. Gray ’72 Distinguished Service Awards are presented to members of the Wofford College Alumni Association who have distinguished themselves through dedicated service and commitment to the college.
John P. Linton Sr. ’70
Johnny Linton ’70 was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation and served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He graduated from University of South Carolina School of Law and joined Sinkler Gibbs and Simons in Charleston, S.C. In 2007, he joined Duffy & Young as special counsel. Among his many community and legal awards and leadership positions, Linton served as president of the Charleston Bar Association and of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Lowcountry Chapter. In 2015, the Hon. Michelle Childs appointed him special master in a national class-action products liability matter, and he received a gubernatorial appointment to the South Carolina Mental Health Commission. His three children — McLane Linton Harrington ’04, John Linton Jr. ’07 and Abigail Price Linton ’09 — are Wofford graduates.
Robert A. Barber Jr. ’71
Robert Barber ’71 earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law. He served as both a minister and an attorney before committing himself more fully to his community. He was elected to the Charleston County School Board in 1984, chairing the board from 1986-88. From 1988-94 he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. After leaving the legislature, Barber split his time between running Bowen's Island Seafood Restaurant, which his grandparents founded in the 1940s, and serving as a lobbying consultant for several predominantly not-for-profit public interest groups. He has served on numerous boards, including the Wofford Alumni Association. His granddaughter, Mary Lesesne McIntosh, is a 2020 Wofford graduate.
RISING STAR AWARD
Rising Star Awards are presented to members of the Wofford College Alumni Association who have demonstrated professional accomplishment and continued growth as emerging leaders in their communities.
Nathan V. Patnam ’19
Nathan Patnam worked several campus jobs — chemistry teaching assistant, IT help center technician and web developer — while he was in college. During the summers, he interned at companies such as Microsoft and Salesforce. After graduation, Patnam worked full time for Salesforce while working toward a master’s degree in computer science at Georgia Tech. Always committed to giving back, he started a nonprofit called Beyond The Lecture to award scholarships and mentoring support to motivated Wofford computer science students. Today, he lives in Atlanta, where he works as a software engineer at Uber. Beyond The Lecture is in its fifth year, and Patnam has established an endowed scholarship fund with the college to further support Wofford computer science students.
PRIDE OF WOFFORD AWARD
Pride of Wofford Awards are presented to members of the Wofford College Alumni Association who have brought honor and distinction to Wofford College through outstanding professional achievement.
Coker Gamble Powell ’00
Coker Powell ’00 is a development innovator whose leadership over the past 20-plus years has enabled teams to raise more than $2.6 billion for cancer and heart disease initiatives. As the executive vice president and chief revenue officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2015, Powell has turned regional initiatives into national campaigns and launched LLS's business development department, which raised over $50 million in fiscal year 2024. She also initiated the Dare to Dream Team to support LLS's pediatric cancer initiatives. Previously Powell held leadership roles with the American Heart Association. She served as president of the Wofford Alumni Association from 2021-24. Powell holds a master’s degree in communication from Wake Forest University.
2024 HOMECOMING SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCT. 24:
Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Brunch
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Mungo Student Center, Tony White Theater
BIPOC Student Mixer
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Mungo Student Center, Tony White Theater
FRIDAY, OCT. 25:
Alumni Board Meeting
Time: 8-11:30 a.m.
Location: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, Media Room
Black Alumni Luncheon
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Mungo Student Center, Tony White Theater
Black Alumni Summit
Time: 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Location: Mungo Student Center, Tony White Theater
Sip & Stroll
Time: 2:30-4 p.m.
Location: Starting at the Richardson Family Pavilion, Stewart H. Johnson Greek Village, this is a campus-wide walking tour.
Wofford Golf Skins Shootout
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Country Club of Spartanburg
Alumni Book Signing & Art Exhibition
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Location: Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts
Reunion Class Parties
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Lawn of Main Building
Orientation Staff Reunion
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Lawn of Main Building
All-Alumni Band Party
Time: 8-11 p.m.
Location: Lawn of Main Building
SATURDAY, OCT. 26:
Alumni Service Awards
Time: 10-11 a.m.
Location: Pavilion (beside Wightman Hall)
Wofford Armed Forces Homecoming Muster
Time: 11 a.m.-12 noon
Location: Kilgo-Clinkscales Alumni House
Orientation Staff Mimosa Drop-In
Time: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Carlisle-Wallace House
All-Alumni Homecoming Tailgate
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: Lawn between Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and Gibbs Stadium
Football: Wofford vs. East Tennessee State University
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Gibbs Stadium
ALL WEEKEND
Alumni Art Exhibition
Location: Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts, Richardson Family Gallery
For more information or to register, visit Wofford.edu/homecoming.