Dietzman Center Dedication
Event Notes
TOC: Les and
Estelle Dietzan | Cordon R. Kerns | James
A. Reinhard
The Tidball Family | WGRN
89.5 FM Radio Studios Brief History
Additional Dietzman Center Acknowledgments
Les and Estelle Dietzman
Les Dietzman has been in retailing with some of the world's largest
and best retailers for the past 33 years. He started his retail
career with the J. L. Hudson Company in Detroit, Michigan. His 16
years at Hudson's included a number of positions in merchandising
and operations with his last position being Vice President/General
Merchandise Manager.
He held the position of Executive Vice President of Merchandising
at both Mervyns and Ames Department Stores before joining Wal-Mart
as Vice President, General Merchandise Manager. Currently, Les is
President and Chief Executive Officer of Family Christian Stores.
Under his leadership the past seven years, the company has tripled
its volume and grown from 125 to 351 stores in 39 states. In 1994,
Les led a management buyout of Family Bookstores from Harper Collins
Publishers.
Les and his wife, Estelle, have been married for 37 years. They
have two sons, one daughter and seven grandchildren.
Mr. Dietzman is on the Board of Trustees for Spring Arbor College.
He is also a Board Member of Jacobson Stores. He received his MBA
from Michigan State University. Both Les and Estelle graduated from
Greenville College in 1964.
Cordon R. Kerns
The Cordon R. Kerns Radio Studios are named in honor and recognition
of Cordon's contribution to the first campus radio station built
in Hogue Hall. Cordon built the first radio transmitter and modulator
using army surplus equipment. As a result of his work, broadcasting
began on November 3, 1952.
The Cordon R. Kerns Radio Studios and the Cordon R. Kerns Engineer's
Room are a gift from their children.
James A. Reinhard
The James A. Reinhard Managers' Office is a gift from his family
to honor him as first station manager of WGRN 89.5 FM in 1952.
Jim Reinhard served as the first station manager of WGRN 89.5 FM
in the fall of 1952. During the fall of 1953, Jim produced a Friday
afternoon devotional program called "Still Waters" that
consisted of sacred music, poetry, and a devotional talk. "Still
Waters" and other afternoon programs produced by WGRN were
also broadcast daily on WSMI in Litchfield by telephone.
The Tidball Family
The Tidball Family Interview Studio is a gift from Craig &
Sue Tidball. Watson Tidball accepted recognition on behalf of the
Tidball family.
Craig Tidball conducted WGRN's first international broadcast when
Al Gaffner and he traveled to Canada with the basketball team and
broadcast the game via telephone line.
Watson Tidball graduated from Greenville College in 1949. When
WGRN announced its initial schedule in October 1952, Watson found
a place in the schedule with a program called "Tidbits by Tidball."
At the time, he was working for the business office at the college.
Watson and his wife Bonnie served as the class sponsors for the
Class of 1954, Cordon Kerns and Jim Reinhard's class.
WGRN Radio Studios Brief History
The senior class of 1952 financed the original construction of
a campus radio station by donating $350 as a gift to the college.
Under the leadership of Professor Brock Brentlinger and Professor
William Boyer, the work on the first campus radio station started
in Hogue Hall. Professor Boyer had the physics department throw
all its energies behind the station with Cordon Kerns starting construction
and Boyer designing and planning.
Cordon was in charge of building the technical equipment for the
station. Broadcasting began on November 3, 1952 at 10:00 PM operating
on 590 kilocycles and reached the immediate campus only.
Dr. William (Bill) Boyer, professor of physics, described Cordon
as unusually gifted electronically, cooperative and energetic. Cordon
built all the technical components of the radio station.
Dr. Brock Brentlinger's idea was to have a campus radio station
where the power lines served as conductors, called "wired radio".
Brentlinger remembers driving around the edge of campus with Cordon
Kerns and Dr. Boyer trying to pick up the signal from the station
on a car radio.
In the November 21st, 1952 issue of the Papyrus, Jim Reinhard wrote
an article expressing Cordon Kerns important role in the success
of the radio station. At the time, WGRN was having difficulty reaching
the students housed in Burritt Hall. Jim states in his article that
Cordon would solve that problem very soon by placing a booster in
the ladies dormitory and promised that "it (WGRN) will come
in clear as a bell" once completed.
From Interview with Cordon Kerns:
Cordon used army surplus equipment to build a radio transmitter
and modulator in the physics lab located in Hogue Hall. He also
lived on the third floor of Hogue Hall and served as the college
electrician that year.
After graduation, Cordon spent two years in the Signal Corp Guided
Missiles School of the army. He went on to work for the University
of California Lawrence Radiation Lab for thirteen years. In 1969,
Cordon relocated to Batavia, IL and worked on the accelerator at
the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNL) over 25 years until
he retired.
Additional Dietzman Center Acknowledgments
Abris Architecture
Jim Miller, Campus Master Planner
Wayne Shaw
Jerry Heiser
Korte Construction
Todd Korte - President
Tom Lyerla - Executive VP
Ben Keefe - Project Manager
Brian Klostermann - Site Superintendent
Free Methodist Foundation (Financing
and $60,000 Grant*)
Dr. Stanley Thompson, President
*Furnishings for the Dietzman Center provided by a grant from the
Free Methodist Foundation.
College Project Manager
Brent Shaw
Jo's Java
Bonnie Jo and Deloy Cole
Greenville Bank (ATM Machine)
John Harrison
Landscaping
Ella Peters
Steve Ross
Furniture Assembly
Steve Ross
Don Jordahl
Dan Jensen
Al Moore
Howard Schantz
Physical Plant
Phil Amos, Director
Physical Plant & Grounds Crew
Radio station and Technology
Scott Wight
Family Christian Stores
Kelli Stephens - Initial work in the bookstore concept at GC
Steve Johnson - Marketing
Tim Giltner - Regional Manager
Darlene Malloy - Greenville Store Manager
Dedication/Grand Opening Committee
Advancement Staff
Smart Classroom Equipment
Summer Reunion 2000 classes
Communication Department Faculty
Cecelia Keener
Cary Holman
Veronica Ross
Ward Sussenbach
Last updated: March
16, 2001
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