Letters to the Editor – Winter 2023
January 13, 2023
“Remembering Central President Emeritus Kenneth Weller”
“Thanks for sharing this deeply personal reflection on President Weller and his legacy (Civitas, Summer 2022). As a newly minted African American freshman from Georgia, my arrival at Central in September 1970 was not without anxiety and questions about my selection of Central as my college home.
However, one of my first encounters with campus leaders was with President Weller at his home as he welcomed new students. He was warm, curious about my experiences prior to arriving at Central and seemed genuine about my prospects for success. I recalled expressing some reluctance to him about finding my place so far away from my home. I will always remember his comments to me. He said, ‛You are here to learn. We can learn from you, and I know you’ll learn from us as well.’ That encounter stuck with me throughout my four years at Central and well into my academic experiences over the course of my career. I did get a chance to thank President Weller in person several years ago when I returned to campus for one of my class reunions.
I am happy that I took up President Weller’s challenge ‘to learn and to teach.’ President Weller’s legacy lives on …”
— Randy Gunter ’74
Statesboro, Georgia
Write Us!
Civitas welcomes letters and emails from readers concerning the contents of the magazine or issues relating to Central College. Please include the author’s name, city and state; anonymous communications will be discarded. Letters selected for publication may be edited for length, content, clarity and style.
Address letters to Civitas, Central Communications, Central College, 812 University St., Pella, Iowa 50219 or email Brittany Carlson Prokupek ’16, Civitas assistant editor, at carlsonb@central.edu.