Concord University Alumni Magazine - Fall 2025

you have made significant contributions to the University’s sCtoundceonrtdsi, apnrso lf ee as rs no rms , oarneda pb roougt rtahme mn ai nt ug r. aYlowu oa rr led haesl pa i mn ga j o r cwohnitcrhi bsuutpopr otrot st hree sAelal irec hI r ea nn ed Ss tt ruadsyk oi nRsecsi ee na rcceh.” T r u s t F u n d Isno tmr oedtui mc i en gwEi tvhe ltyhne, lDo rn. gBt oi mg geeCs sU ssaui dp ps ohret ewraasneda gpehro tnoe sdp e n d ah ha ed aadl stoo gs reat duupa at emd ef reot imn gC wo ni tcho rt hd e. Twhoemp ar enswi dheonst es ami do tshheer’ d lsohnegnbeeeedne dt otlod mb ye ehtetrhceoel lfef ea rgvueessc ae nn dt Ut enai vme rms iet my ableurms nt haa t with a quick wit, and she was not disappointed. “RIotaonl do khee rt oI mw ae se tr ewailtlhy hl oeork. .i.nSghfeo rt owl da rmd et oi fcIowmai ns gg ot oi n g taon dc onmo et i ct oe , sbeeec ha ue rs, eI snheee dweads tvoe gr yi v be uhseyr, ” aDl ro. tBoofgtgi me ses scaoimd,mpeanucseinmgefnotr atuhde ileanucgeh. ter that rang through the Al esa rt hn ee dg ya ml ont aasbi uomu t qt hu ei e ltaeddy, Dwrh. Bo owg ag se st hs as ta idda ys hbee hi nagd bestowed an honorary doctorate. "kSnhoewi, sI swo aenntt thou bs iea sl itki ce. ES vheel yl onv. eTshtaht i’ ss pml ya cgeo. aI lw, ” aDnrt. By oo ug gteos s said. Etoveshlyanreh.ad a few words of wisdom — and one true story — "bDe eonn ’ tt oe v1e1rcsotlol epgleesa rannidn gu;nyi voeur’ rsei t ij ue ss tt as kt ai nr tgi ncgl a. sI sheasvsei n c e I gs er ae dt uh ae t be ed s, ”t sahnedsba ri di g, he tnecsot uwr ah ge irnegv egrr at hd es yo wf tehnet d. “aIyf yt oo uo nl ol yo k hard enough, you can find something good in every place yy oo uu gt oo daon dwehvaet ryyowuhcearne tyoo mu ga ok e. Ai tn gdo, oi f di tains dn ’ tt og os eoed ,t hi te’ s guopo dt o part.” Then, she shared a secret that brought the house down. “hIet awr da soaf avierr- yc ohnodt i dt iaoyn itnhge , dbauyt twhea tc Ie rgtraaidnul ya tdei dd .nW’ t eh ahvaed i t ,” she recalled. Fweema ra lwe hc iat ne ddi rdeastseessf ou rn dg rear dn ue aa tt iho tnh he ai rdgbr ea ed nu ai nt isotnr urcotbeeds t, o as hned’ dg ipv ee rns tphi rees owne lht ee rr ibnrga cnodn- nd ei twi o nwsh, iEt ev edl yr ensws , asst acionni nvgi n c e d iutnacnodmsfiomrtualbtalen.eously making the ceremony extremely “bWe shi de en twh ee pp ui nt eotnr eoeusr —r o bwehs i ca hn dwwe awl keer ed ndootwanl l ot hweesdi dt oe w a l k eh na dt e or na fmt eyr udna dr ke r—w eI adri, "d Envoetl yhna vaen no on uanwc ehdi tme da trteesrs-. oIf j-uf asct t l y,

prompting an uproar of laughter. “It’s hard to top that,” Viscusi said. Reading the certificate of her honorary doctorate, Viscusi st oa isdh, i“nAet . 9A7 byeeqaur es sot f yaogue ,hyaovue rms pa idrei t t oo f Cgoi vnicnogr dc own it li lncureesa t e tghe en eErvoeul ys nd Lo inl layt iBolna kwei lEl nbde ouws ee dd tSoc iue pn gc reaFduensdc .i eTnhci se vl aebr sy , pscuirecnhcaesfeacsciliietinecse.”equipment, and improve the University’s TV oA g, ea trhe ea rf, oErv me l yo nr eatnhda nO ss ci xa rd Be cl aa kdee sl i, vaendd i nt htehye bRoot ah nhoekl ed , a de seteapb lai ps hp er ed cTi ahtei oOnsfcoarr tJheen ne ni nvgi rs oannmd eEnvteal ynnd Lni al ltyu Br el a. Tk eh e y Pn or erst he rovfeBf lraocmk s2b2u2r ga, cVrAe s, aonf dp rdios nt iantee df otrhees tllaanndd ,t ol oTc ahtee d NcaaltcuarreeoCuosnfsoerrevsatn. cy to preserve and maintain the large Oscar passed away in 2004, and Evelyn continued to reside iCnUDDailreevci tl loer, oV Af A, ul unmt i lnhi ea rn dd eDaot hn oart Ra geel a1t i0o3n so nB lNa ko ev . F2a3r, m2 e0 r2 3 . ss at ui dd et hnet scaonudp llee’asvgeean el arsotsi ni tgy mw ai lrl kp aovnet thheef uwtauyr ef oorf ctohuen t l e s s sa cdhoor oe dl Ebvye nl yena rl ol yv eedv ,ecr ryeoantei nwg haos teenl cl aorulnetgearceyd thoetrh. e w o m a n “t hTahte Er ev ealryenn w’ t oe nu lodu bg hr i nwgotrod st ht eo rdoeosmc r i—b e ftuhl el or fa edni aenr tg yg,l o w laughs, and so many great stories," said Farmer. "She was truly a wonderful human being. Evelyn was one of the first aI lbuemg as nI ah ta dC ot nh ce oprrdi ,vai lne dg eo ou fr mi net ee rt iancgt i oo nn st hf reormo at dh ewr eh eonn wl i f ee rsehael wc aaryrsi esdo mw ei tthh ihnegr swp iel cl ibael . sTohme estphi irni tg aI nhdo ol du ct ll oo os ke toon for a lifetime. She has truly left a lasting legacy that will make a difference in the lives of many in a field she was so passionate about.” Evelyn Lilly Blake receives honorary doctorate from Concord in 2018.

35

WRITTEN BY TAMMIE PRESLEY & DESIGNED BY AIDAN BISHOP