Late President Spoelhof To Be Honored on 100th Birthday

Summary: At a private reception on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 a bronze bust of the late president William Spoelhof will be unveiled. The bust, created by a 1958 Calvin alumnus, will go on permanent display in the atrium of the Spoelhof College Center.

Late president William Spoelhof will be remembered on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. (on what would have been his 100th birthday) at a private reception held in the atrium of the Spoelhof College Center.

Calvin alumnus Ken Hoving '58 will unveil a bronze bust of Spoelhof. The sculpture, inspired by Hoving's admiration for the late president, will become part of Calvin's permanent collection of art works and will be placed in the atrium of the Spoelhof College Center.

"President Spoelhof had served as president when I was a student, and I admired him from a distance," Hoving said. "And I heard over the years from friends that he maintained his friendships and that he had coffee with his friends on campus. And I admired that."

Some of those coffee-drinking friends will be present at the reception, along with donors of the bust project and officers of the Heritage Chapter of the Calvin Alumni Association, among others. Hoving will speak at the event. The reception will also recognize another Spoelhof likeness: a wood carving of the late president crafted by English professor emeritus Clarence Walhout. That carving will be on permanent display in the office of the president.

Spoelhof was president of Calvin from 1951 to 1976, but his association with the college first began in the fall of 1927 when he began his studies at Calvin.

Note: Members of the media please contact Mike Van Denend at 616-526-6142 if you plan on attending the event.

-end-
Received on Fri Dec 4 09:49:07 2009