Huntingdon Alumni Receive Awards During Reunion Weekend Pictured: Huntingdon President J. Cameron West, left, and Mary
George Jester, a member of the College’s National Alumni Board, present the College’s Alumni
Achievement Award to Minnie Lamberth (center).
Montgomery, Ala.—During Huntingdon College’s Reunion Weekend,
held in April, five Huntingdon alumni received awards for their professional achievement or
loyalty to the College.
Minnie Lamberth, a native of Alexander City and current Montgomery resident, received the
Alumni Achievement Award. Lamberth studied English at Huntingdon, graduating in the Class
of 1985. While a student, she wrote and worked one year as editor of the College newspaper,
The Gargoyle. After graduating, Lamberth worked as a copywriter for a Montgomery advertising
agency and then served as public information officer for the Alabama Commission on Higher
Education. She returned to Huntingdon to serve as part-time director of media relations,
affording her time to begin work on the creative manuscript that would become her first novel.
Life with Strings Attached won the first-ever Paraclete Fiction Award for a literary novel with
Christian themes two years ago, and was recognized at the Festival of Faith and Writing held in
April, 2004, at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Paraclete Press published the novel
in February, 2005 to wide acclaim. Lamberth has been recognized with the 1996 Practitioner of
the Year Award, Montgomery Chapter, Public Relations Council of Alabama; the 1998 ByLine
Literary Award in fiction; and the 1999 Senior Practitioner Recognition Award, Southern Public
Relations Federation.
Pictured: Huntingdon President J. Cameron West, left, and Mary George
Jester, a member of the College’s National Alumni Board, present the College’s Alumni Achievement
Award to Joe Rambo (center), of Fairhope.
Joe Rambo, of Fairhope, Ala., received the Alumni Achievement Award for his work in the field
of chemistry. Graduating magna cum laude in the Class of 1987 with a major in chemistry and minors
in biology and sacred music, he completed graduate school at Indiana University. He and his wife,
Elisa Boykin Rambo (Huntingdon class of 1988), both graduated with doctoral degrees in 1993 and
accepted post-doctoral fellowships in Paris, France. In 1994, the Rambos moved to Fairhope to
serve as co-directors of research for Science International. Subsequently, Rambo taught as an
adjunct chemistry professor at both Springhill College and Faulkner State Community College.
Rambo’s love of teaching led him to the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile,
where he began as a chemistry instructor in 1998 and where he now serves as dean of students in
addition to teaching. Also an accomplished musician, Rambo served as a church organist in
Bloomington, Indiana, and in Fairhope. He is a member of the Eastern Shore Art Center’s chamber
music concerts committee and has been involved as musical director and pianist for many community
and school musical theater productions. His awards and honors include the DuPont Associate Instructor
Award in 1988, the Chemistry Merit Award in 1988 and 1989, and Who’s Who Among American Teachers.
Pictured: Huntingdon President J. Cameron West, left, and Mary George
Jester, a member of the College’s National Alumni Board, present the College’s Alumni Loyalty Award
to Claire Peacock Helms (center), of Dothan.
Claire Peacock Helms, of Dothan, Ala., was recognized with the Alumni Loyalty Award. Helms’ connection
to Huntingdon College has been lifelong, as her mother, Sara Claire Rogers Peacock, is a 1934 graduate,
along with two of her aunts. Graduating summa cum laude in 1962, Helms has been a loyal supporter of
Huntingdon College for many years. Married to the Reverend Wayne Helms (Huntingdon Class of 1961), she
has been an active member of Huntingdon’s National Alumni Board. She is the class agent for the Class
of 1962 and has consistently been a contributor to the Annual Fund. Helms earned her master’s degree at
Vanderbilt University and a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Alabama. She worked for
the Alabama Department of Human Resources as a child welfare worker and was involved in the implementation
of the state’s first child abuse law, eventually becoming the assistant director of the Tuscaloosa County
DHR. She retired after five years of service to Alzheimer’s patients and families at Wesley Manor in
Dothan, Ala.
Pictured: Huntingdon President J. Cameron West, left, and Mary George
Jester, a member of the College’s National Alumni Board, present the College’s Alumni Loyalty Award to Sarah
McCarthy Mingledorff (center),
of Montgomery.
Sarah McCarthy Mingledorff, of Montgomery, received the Alumni Loyalty Award. After graduating summa
cum laude in 1969 with a degree in mathematics, she earned a Master of Arts in mathematics at the University
of Alabama. She has been an active member of Huntingdon’s National Alumni Board. A faithful supporter of
Huntingdon’s Annual Fund for many years, she has taken on the role of gift agent for the Class of 1969 for
the past five years. Helms helped to establish the Class of 1969 Endowed Scholarship in 2002 and has
volunteered a generous amount of her time assisting the Alumni Advancement office. She and her husband,
George (Huntingdon Class of 1970), are charter members of The Huntingdon Society and participate in the
society’s functions throughout the year. Mingledorff distinguished herself as a public servant during 25
years of service with the Alabama Medicaid Agency. Beginning as a systems analyst, in her last seven years
she served as deputy commissioner, the highest merit position in the agency. Not only loyal to Huntingdon,
she has been a faithful volunteer, staff person and leader at her church, Aldersgate United Methodist in
Montgomery.
Pictured: Huntingdon President J. Cameron West, left, and Mary George
Jester, a member of the College’s National Alumni Board, present the College’s Young Alumni Award to Brian
Daniel Mann (center), of Wetumpka.
Brian Daniel Mann, Class of 1995, of Wetumpka, Ala., received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Mann
graduated with a degree in business administration and history and attended the University of Alabama School
of Law. While in law school, he was inducted into the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society. He began his
career in 1998 as an attorney in Wetumpka, where he took over the law practice of the late John Formby, Jr.
Mann is involved in Kiwanis Club of Wetumpka, Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce, and several Elmore County
leadership committees, and is a graduate of Leadership Elmore County. He is soon to finish his term as
president of the Elmore County Bar Association. Mann is a member of the College’s National Alumni Board.
Huntingdon College is a community of faith, wisdom, and service preparing skilled leaders to serve a complex
world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church.
Huntingdon students benefit from access to technology, with a laptop computer provided for each full-time student,
theirs to keep at graduation; from travel-study, internships, and service learning opportunities; from an
environment of small classes and personal attention to students’ needs; and from a broad-based liberal arts
curriculum that sharpens communication and critical thinking skills. Placement rates into graduate and
professional schools are, in most cases, more than twice the national averages.
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