Books by Eugene Redmond

Sides of the River (1969)  /  Sentry of the Four Golden Pillars (1970) / River of Bones and Flesh and Blood (1971) / Songs from an Afro/Phone (1972)

 In a Time of Rain & Desire (1973) / Echo Tree: The Collected Short Fiction of Henry Dumas (2003)

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Professor Eugene Redmond Will Be Honored by SIUE

May 10 with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

 
(Edwardsville, Ill.) During its May 10 commencement ceremonies, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) will honor one of its own, a nationally known poet who founded a popular multicultural literary journal, and also an Edwardsville resident who is known regionally as an educator and volunteer.
 
The SIU Board of Trustees today approved the Distinguished Service Award for Carol Wetzel, who has made significant contributions as a teacher in Collinsville and Edwardsville schools and as a dedicated community volunteer, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for SIUE emeritus Professor Eugene Redmond, a nationally known poet who founded Drumvoices Revue, a multicultural literary journal that has featured some of the most important literary voices of the 20th and 21st centuries.
 
The SIUE Honorary Degrees and Distinguished Service Awards Committee actively solicits nominations from members of the University community to obtain a diverse pool of qualified candidates for these awards. A candidate for an Honorary Degree may be any person who has made significant contributions to cultural, educational, scientific, economic, social, humanitarian or other worthy fields of endeavor. Distinguished Service Awards may be presented to any person who has given outstanding or unusual service to the University, the region or the state.
 
Redmond, an SIUE graduate who was named poet laureate of East St. Louis in 1976, recently retired from the SIUE Department of English Language and Literature after 19 years of service. His contributions as a guiding light in the African-American literary pantheon have brought him national and international acclaim. In addition, he provided a national platform for hundreds of SIUE students and emergent writers, including several from the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club founded in his name in East St. Louis.
 
His passion for photography has produced thousands of images that chronicle a generation of writers, civic leaders, performers and families from around the world and on the SIUE campus. He also created cultural events on campus and around the region, providing a forum for scores of renowned artists including Jayne Cortez, Joy Harjo, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez, Quincy Troupe and the late renowned anthropologist and choreographer Katherine Dunham, to name a few.
 
During his storied career, Redmond has won numerous awards including fellowships, a lifetime achievement award from Pan-African Movement USA, and American Book Award for Excellence in Multicultural Literature, Illinois Author of the Year for 1989-90 from the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, and induction into both the Illinois Senior Hall of Fame and the National Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent.
 
Wetzel has been a steadfast supporter of the region's educational systems for many years in her teaching roles. A portion of her 15-year teaching career was spent as a Homebound Teacher instructing children who were too ill to attend school. She also taught special education students and international students, some of whom arrived with little or no English language skills.

She also has devoted herself to volunteerism on behalf of SIUE through service on the SIUE Foundation Board of Directors, the Friends of Lovejoy Library, the Friends of Music and as past president of the Friends of Art. She and her husband, Bob, have endowed an SIUE Chancellor's Scholarship in support of academic excellence and have contributed to more than 30 funds throughout the University including the Arts, the School of Business, the Gardens, Intercollegiate Athletics and Student Affairs, among others.
 
As a dedicated community resident, Wetzel champions the Edwardsville Children's Museum, Riverbend Head Start & Family Services and the Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation. She has served as honorary co-chair of Anderson Hospital's Fifth Annual Founders Ball in 2001 and was the 2003 recipient of the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce Athena Award given to "an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in (a) business or profession, served the community in a meaningful way and assisted women in reaching their full leadership potential."
 
For the past several years, Wetzel has been a leading force in the fundraising and restoration of the historic Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville and currently serves as president of the Friends of Stephenson House Committee.

Source: SIUE News 1/17/08

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posted 27 January 2008