Updates: 1980s' Grads

We post updates from alumni and friends as we receive them. Use our handy online form to send us your news!

Doug Ackerson (M.A., '80) Currently living in Alexandria, VA, with wife Sharon, and 2 children - Jake 14 and Alice 6. Received a Masters in Management from Boston Univ/Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1984. Currently serve as a Vice President for Alion Science & Technology, a government services and technology firm. (3/10)

John Martin (B.A., '80) I have launched a website at www.streetrebuttal.com, which may be of interest to some in the History Department. I am also offering internships on this website and would love to have a student(s) from W&M working on it. (11/09)

Valerie Bettendorf Spargo (B.A., '80) I was a double major (History and English) at W&M, and both majors have served me well in my career. For the last eight years, I have worked at the National Archives. A great place to work for those with a love of history. NARA makes the historical records of our government available to the public. (11/09)

Lynn Doggett Anderson (M.A., '81) In November 2009, after 23 years of working in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest, I moved back to my home state and took a position with the North Carolina Maritime Museums, based in Beaufort. My husband, 2 teenaged sons and I are enjoying life at the coast. (3/10)

Caroline Bolte Cardwell (A.B. '81) I am employed as editor/communications manager for the Virginia Press Association and serve on the boards of both the Society of Professional Journalists' Virginia Pro Chapter and the Virginia SPJ,SDX Educational Fund. In addition, I volunteer in the Richmond community through the Junior League, Impact 100 Richmond and the Micah Initiative, and serve on the Trinity United Methodist Church Council as chair of the Worship Committee. (10/11)

Julie Carpenter (A.B., '83) I'm a lawyer at Jenner & Block in Washington, DC. About half my practice is in constitutional litigation, so I still get to read the Federalist Papers from time to time. I'm married to Paul Wolfteich (W&M '84, History and Religion double major). Our oldest daughter, who has competed at the national level in the National History Day competition for 5 years, has just joined the Tribe, class of 2014. She says she's going to major in English. We'll see. (3/10)

Susan Peterson Fetter (A.B., '84) I've been working for the Defense Department since 1985, and have spent half that time overseas--in Chad, Somalia, Tunisia, Australia, and Canada--with my State Department husband (David Fetter '85) and, more recently our two children. Our eldest daughter was just accepted into the W&M class of 2014 but is choosing to go elsewhere. We move back to Washington this summer, so look forward to catching up with friends. (4/10)

Jon Stauff (B.A. '86) Just started a new position as Director of International and Off-Campus Programs at The College of New Jersey. Spent two years in a similar position at Radford University and fourteen years as Professor of European History at St. Ambrose University in Iowa. Ph.D. in Modern German History from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. (11/09)

Leslie Bellais (M.A., '87) In a few months I will reach my 20th anniversary as Curator of Costume & Textiles at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Last year I received my second M.A. in US History (minor in material culture) from the University of Wisconsin with the thesis "Bringing Up the Rear: The History and Significance of Late 19th-Century Bustles." Right now I am studying for prelims, which I will take at the end of this year. After that, it's on to the dissertation. One day I'll get that Ph.D. (3/10)

Jim Williams (M.A., '87) is now the director of the Albert Gore Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, in which role he is able to participate more in the Department of History's public history graduate program. He is expanding the Gore Center's mission to include digital humanities projects such as a computerized democracy simulation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (2/10)

Catharine Rigby Helck (A.B., '88) I'm continuing to edit and write educational materials – mostly social studies, some reading/language from home – currently writing a six-volume library market series (fortunately the main source is a much older version for high school students) on WWII. Full of strategy. The target audience is 6th to 7th grade reading levels, which is nice – I have a 5th-grade boy who loves this stuff. (I also have a 2nd-grade girl who doesn't!) Just finished another interesting project – looking at a high school grammar text that the publisher wanted to put in the Saudi marketplace, so I had lists and lists of Saudi sensitivity issues and learned quite a bit in the meantime. We live in Madison, NJ, about 30 miles west of New York City. (11/09)

Stephen McKee (B.A., '89) I'm currently the Accounting Manager for a national medical equipment installation/transportation company. Living in South Florida. Spend weekends playing in a rock and roll cover band. (11/09)