January 21, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Farmer Legacy 2020 Launch Featuring Congressman John Lewis, Jan. 13

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Dear UMW Community,

In October, I wrote that 2020 will be a particularly significant year for the University of Mary Washington as we launch Farmer Legacy 2020 in commemoration of Dr. James Farmer Jr., national civil rights pioneer and UMW professor from 1985 to 1998.

I am thrilled to inform you that U.S. Representative John Lewis has agreed to serve as the Honorary Chairperson for Farmer Legacy 2020 and will be on campus Monday January 13 for UMW’s celebratory launch from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Chandler Ballroom of the University Center. In 1961, Lewis was a college student when he joined 12 other people on the Freedom Rides organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and led by Farmer. Lewis was a co-organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Today, U.S. Representative John Lewis is one of our nation’s most influential leaders; he is known across the world as a champion of social justice.

It will be a tremendous honor to welcome Representative Lewis to Mary Washington. I encourage students, faculty, and staff to join us in Chandler Ballroom on January 13 at 2:30 p.m. for his remarks and the birthday celebration to follow. You will receive an official invitation soon.

Good luck in closing out the semester. I wish you a joyful and restorative winter break.

Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D.

 

James Farmer Multicultural Center Turns 30

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In 2020, UMW will celebrate the centennial birthday of the late civil rights pioneer and Mary Washington history professor Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. – who died in 1999 – as well as the 30th anniversary of the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Photo by Lou Cordero.

In 2020, UMW will celebrate the centennial birthday of the late civil rights pioneer and Mary Washington history professor Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. – who died in 1999 – as well as the 30th anniversary of the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Photo by Lou Cordero.

Junior Courtney Flowers was writing a high school paper when she stumbled upon a name she didn’t recognize.

“It was James Farmer,” said the Los Angeles native, who spent that day on a UMW website, researching the late civil rights pioneer and Mary Washington history professor. “What ultimately drew me here was the James Farmer Multicultural Center.”

In 2020, the University will celebrate the centennial birthday of Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. – who died in 1999 – as well as the 30th anniversary of the James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC). Created in response to an uptick in enrollment of students of color and a rash of racially biased incidents that ensued, the Center aimed to promote harmony between all groups. It fulfills Farmer’s legacy, educating the UMW community through engaging – and often life-changing – programs, from the spring Multicultural Fair to the fall Social Justice Trip. JFMC also supports 22 campus organizations and offers a welcoming haven for underrepresented students. Read more.

Celebrate the Retirement of John Symonds (a.k.a. Santa Claus), Dec. 13

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John Symonds

John Symonds has been playing Santa Claus across the Fredericksburg region and beyond since 1981.

After 19 years at the University of Mary Washington, John Symonds is retiring. Plan to attend a reception for John tomorrow (December 13) at 1 p.m. in the Lee Hall Underground.

In his role as applications database administrator in the Department of Information Technologies, John was a key member of the project team that implemented Banner; over  the years, he has helped countless people achieve their Banner goals and solve their Banner problems. And of course, John will be fondly remembered for playing Santa Claus at many UMW holiday events.

Please join us in thanking John for his years of service and in wishing him well in retirement.

Thank You for Your Eagle Resource Closet Contributions

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UMW first-years work with CCE Faculty Director Leslie Martin to stock the Eagle Resource Closet, a food pantry on the fifth floor of Lee Hall. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Hello, UMW faculty and staff:

We wanted to express sincere gratitude for all of the help you have provided to the Eagle Resource Closet this fall. This was our first formal semester being open (though Gwen Hale and Rita Thompson pioneered this effort and served folks who needed help for ages prior; as do many folks around campus).

You all have donated clothes, food, toiletries, and time. THANK YOU. Students also have been pitching in all of the above. And the Alumni Board, Staff Advisory Council, and Dining Services have all run food drives. Parents have asked how they can help and so have alumni – there is interest and willingness, and we are so fortunate in this.

We also want to let you know about impact. Since we opened the ERC this September, over 100 visits have been made (according to our voluntary sign in sheet). We’ve had pages and pages of people expressing thanks and noting how much they actively need this resource. We echo these thanks.

If you want to make donations of goods – drop them at the Center for Community Engagement – UC Suite 320; we will shuttle them to the ERC. If you’d like to make a $ donation, our foundation account can be found here.

Wishing you all a good break. Looking forward to 2020 with you all.

Leslie Martin
Faculty Director, Center for Community Engagement

Melchers Painting Seized by Nazis Confiscated by FBI

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"Winter" by Gari Melchers.

“Winter” by Gari Melchers.

A Gari Melchers painting stolen by the Nazis in 1933 from a Jewish family has been confiscated by the FBI from an upstate New York museum, where it has been part of the collection for decades. Winter was among 1,200 works the Nazis looted from the collection owned by the descendants of Jewish publisher Rudolf Mosse, who were persecuted and forced to flee from Germany. It was later auctioned off in New York City to Bartlett Arkell, the founder of the Beech-Nut Packing Co., who in turn, donated it to his museum in upstate New York. According to a press release from Gari Melchers Home and Studio, Curator Joanna Catron assisted with the recovery by providing documents of Mosse’s purchase directly from the artist in 1900 and Winter’s reappearance at a sale at the MacBeth Gallery in New York in 1934.

Painting stolen by Nazi regime, featured in NY museum to be returned to family (The Jerusalem Post)

Painting looted by Nazis in 1930s seized by FBI in New York (Washington Examiner; CNN.com)

Melchers painting that was seized by the Nazis is removed from New York museum (The Free Lance-Star)

Painting stolen by Nazis from Jewish family recovered from New York museum (USA Today; NBC News)

Painting stolen by Nazis from influential Berlin family recovered in New York (Deutsche Welle)

F.B.I. Recovers Nazi-Looted Painting From New York Museum (Smithsonian.com)

Fredericksburg City Council commits to renewable energy switch (The Free Lance-Star)

 

Fill a Holiday Box for Those in Need

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Holiday boxes are now available to departments that wish to fill them with non-perishable food items, as well as personal hygiene and toiletry products, for local residents in need. Give your boxes some festive flair by decorating it with your colleagues! Please leave the top of box uncovered. Employees may pick up their box from the Office of Events & Conferencing in George Washington Hall, Room 307. Please return filled boxes to the Rappahannock Grand Ballroom in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center on either Wednesday, December 11 or Thursday, December 12. Decorated boxes will be displayed under the tree at the Holiday Party. Please indicate your department on the boxes. This year’s donations will be given to Micah Ecumenical Ministries before the holiday break. Please direct any inquiries to Marissa DiMeo at ext. 1087 or mdimeo@umw.edu.

PCOW: Wellness Wheel Sector Explained: Social

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As the holidays are approaching, we are focusing this week on the Social dimension of the PCOW Wellness Wheel. Social wellness is defined as “fostering a sense of connection and belonging with others. This involves using good communication skills, respecting yourself and others, and creating and maintaining a well-developed support system.” The positive effects of building and cultivating healthy relationships with family and friends are infinite. We respond better to stress, form better habits, are more at peace and boost our self-esteem to be comfortable in ourselves and more at ease in different social settings.

UMW offers many ways for its employees to practice social wellness on campus: eat lunch with a colleague, attend a UMW-sponsored event with your family, or cheer on your students at UMW sports event with a friend! What will you do to practice good social wellness this week and during the holiday break? Share it with us on our Facebook page: UMW Wellness or Instagram: umw_wellness.

Parking Lot Project Highlights UMW, City Partnership

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City Council member Tim Duffy (left) shakes hands with UMW President Troy Paino after the two cut the symbolic ribbon at the expanded Battlefield Athletic Complex parking lot. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

City Council member Tim Duffy (left) shakes hands with UMW President Troy Paino after the two cut the symbolic ribbon at the expanded Battlefield Athletic Complex parking lot. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

A ribbon cutting on Nov. 22 for a newly expanded parking lot at UMW’s Battlefield Athletic Complex illustrates a concerted effort by the University and the City of Fredericksburg to work collaboratively on community issues.

The project, which enlarged the lot between UMW’s Tennis Center and Physical Plant to eight times its original size, aims to ease cramped parking conditions on Hanover Street during University-hosted athletic events. It also is intended to bolster the athletic complex’s attractiveness for tournament use and support economic development opportunities.

“This lot is more than just parking,” said City Manager Tim Baroody. “It’s a partnership.” Read more.