Beth Smith, who chaired the Health Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Department for most of her 35 years before her retirement in 2010, and Blair Morrissey, an instructor of philosophy from 1976 until his retirement in July 2009, have been presented with the Distinguished Faculty Award by Muskegon Community College.
Recipients are chosen by the MCC Faculty Senate with the approval of the MCC President. Smith was honored at an Aug. 23 luncheon and Morrissey at an Aug. 24 luncheon, both held in Collegiate Hall on campus.
Previous MCC Distinguished Faculty Award recipients are: Jack W. Rice, Mary Kathryn (Kasey) Hartz, Wilma J. Kyvig, Donald J. Goodman, Robert E. Sheets, Dan Yakes, Carlo Spataro, Bill Jacobks and Timothy N. Trainor.
Beth Smith
While at MCC, Smith developed 23 new HPER courses. She served as the head volleyball coach and volunteered at numerous MCC sporting events. For eight years, she managed MCC’s University Park Golf Course.
A certified Michigan High School Athletic Association sports officials, Smith is a past president of the Michigan Special Olympics Board. Active in faculty governance at MCC, she helped to establish the Faculty Association Scholarship.
From 1971-75, she taught physical education at Vassar (MI) High School, where she also coached cheerleading, track and field, volleyball and basketball. She directed theatrical productions at the school.
Smith, who resides in Fort Meyers, FL, and Muskegon, MI, is a native of Zeeland, MI. She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts degree from Central Michigan University.
Blair Morrissey
At MCC, Morrissey taught and developed many philosophy classes, including Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Business Ethics, Philosophy of Science, Biomedical Ethics, Intro to Logic and Symbolic Logic. He devoted 80 hours weekly ensuring all of his students were able to write clearly, think critically, and have a greater ethical understanding of the world.
He also wrote a computer simulation, called CHOICES, which, he explained, “hopefully made students more aware of the harm immoral behavior causes at the same time as they become more aware of its temptation and the various things in society that attempt to reduce immoral behavior.”
Morrissey was one of the MCC pioneers in developing the College Success Course to ensure MCC students were college ready. He insisted on teaching the course each semester out of dedication to the college and to continue the course’s development.
He also chaired the MCC Fine Arts Department and was frequently active with the Faculty Senate. He served several times on the General Education Committee to develop MCC’s respected general education requirements.
Raised in Windsor, ONT, where he attended Riverside High, Morrissey earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and a Master of Arts from Case Western Reserve University.
Prior to joining the MCC faculty, Morrissey taught at Hawkesbury (ONT) High School for a year and was a part-time instructor at Cuyahoga Community College from 1970 to 1975.
Morrissey resides in Englewood, FL. In retirement, he enjoys spending time with friends, travelling, sailing, biking, and attending opera and theatre.