No one ever had to remind 6-year-old Marilla Mattox – now Marilla Mattox Haas ’60 – to practice piano. Haas’ earliest memories of Sunday mornings in Richmond’s First Baptist Church are of balcony seats carefully chosen by her mother so young Marilla could have a clear view of the organist’s hands. She and her mother frequented what was then Richmond’s Mosque theater, where they heard pianists Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein, contralto Marian Anderson, and the Broadway cast of Porgy and Bess. “I was always exposed to music,” said the accomplished pianist, bassist, teacher, and accompanist. “That’s just been my life.” That love of music brought Haas to Mary Washington, where she earned a degree in music. But unlike most graduates, she never really left. Haas played string bass with the orchestra for three decades, taught piano as an adjunct professor in the Department of Music, and accompanied Mary Washington and community musical groups. “There was never a time when … [Read more...]
Alumni Board
From the Alumni Board President
Greetings fellow Mary Washington Alumni, Isn’t spring the best season to stroll through the UMW campus? As many of us celebrate receiving vaccines and interacting with friends and family members we haven’t seen in months due to COVID-19, I am eager to visit our campus with all the spring blooms and renovations in progress. As much as I’ve enjoyed the UMW-sponsored virtual programs and gatherings this past year, nothing compares to a stroll down Campus Walk to remind me of the good times while a student, the excellent education I received, and the relationships that still mean so much to me. By the time you read this, the university will have held commencement exercises May 6 through 9 for the classes of 2020 and 2021, and we welcome these recent graduates to our alumni association of more than 42,000 members. Despite the challenges in our communities and in higher education, UMW continues to provide an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students on campus … [Read more...]