Three to retire at GCC

Staff report

grove city, pa.

Three long-serving faculty members and administrators will retire from Grove City College at the end of the 2012-13 academic year.

They are Edwin Arnold, Diane Grundy (’65) and John Sparks (’66). The total years of service for all three, at their retirement, will be 119.

Arnold, or “Doc” as he has been called by generations of students, is chairman of the Department of Music and Fine Arts, director of the Pew Fine Arts Center and professor of music. He began with the college in 1975 as director of bands and assistant professor of music.

In 1981, he became chairman of the department.

From 1982 to 1990, he also served as assistant to fifth President Charles MacKenzie. The music program has grown in numbers and in quality under his guidance. He has been recognized by many of his counterparts outside the college with prestigious awards. In addition, he has been invited to be a guest conductor of many other bands and orchestras.

Grundy, director of library services, first was assistant librarian at Grove City High School from 1966 to 1969, then joined the college in 1969.

For 44 years, she has been head librarian. She has led students, faculty and staff through many changes in the world of library science. She also assisted in the establishment of the Pre-Law program and taught children’s and young-adult literature for more than 20 years.

Sparks, dean of the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters, joined Grove City College in 1976. He chaired the department of business from 1990 to 2003, when he was named dean of the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters. For years, he also taught constitutional law and business. He was selected as Professor of the Year in 2000 and received the Jack Kennedy Alumni Achievement Award in 2002.