Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 22, 1993 TAG: 9311220174
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
OBIT GLISSON, ORIS JEWELL
GLISSON, Oris Jewell, 81, of Blacksburg, died Sunday, November 21, 1993, at
Montgomery Regional Hospital. Miss Glisson was a native of Metter, Ga., born
November 1, 1912, to the late William Lawton and Annie Lee Flanders Glisson.
She held a B.S. degree with honors from the University of Georgia, an M.S.
degree from the University of Tennessee, and she pursued additional graduate
study at Traphagen School of Design, the University of Rhode Island, and
Drexel Institute of Technology. Early in her career, she served as a High
School Home Economics Teacher in Georgia and a supervising Teacher of Home
Economics at Georgia State College for Women before joining the V.P.I. Home
Economics faculty in 1948 as Associate Professor. In 1955, she was promoted to
the rank of Professor and Head of the Department of Clothing, Textiles, and
Related Art, a leadership role in which she continued until her 1978
retirement. The historic costume and textile collection laboratories and the
related program of study which she developed in 1958 and administered for the
department were considered by her colleagues and the profession as a model to
study, apply, and promote throughout the clothing and textile field. She was a
leader in the College of Home Economics Study Abroad Program in Finland from
1971 until she retired. She held membership and leadership roles in the
following professional and honorary associations and learned societies:
International Association of Textile Colorists and Chemists, American and
Virginia Home Economics Associations, National and Virginia Education
Associations, Virginia Art Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Nu, Phi Upsilon
Omicron, and Epsilon Sigma Phi. One of her most prestigious recognitions at
V.P.I. was the 1961 receipt of the W.E. Wine Award for excellence in teaching.
At her retirement in 1978, in her honor the faculty of the department of
Clothing and Textiles named the clothing and textiles historic costume
collection the Oris Glisson Historic Costume and Textile Collection. At that
same time the faculty, staff, alumni, and students of the College of Home
Economics, other colleagues at the University, members of the Association of
College Teachers of Textiles and Clothing, business associates, other friends,
and family members established the Oris Glisson Endowed Scholarship in
Clothing and Textiles in her honor for use by specially selected clothing and
textiles students at V.P.I. In 1991, she was named a fellow of the
International Association of Textile Colorists and Chemists, at which time the
following citation was used: "She is known as a superior administrator,
teacher, builder, and pioneer in the profession and association." She is
survived by one sister and brother-in-law, Monteen Glisson and Arthur Chandler
Dickey Jr. of Eatonton, Ga.; two nieces, Teena Dickey Hawley and husband,
David and Bruce Dickey Hebert and husband, Ralph; one nephew, Arthur Chandler
Dickey III and wife, Joyce; two grandnieces, Caroline Chandler Dickey and Page
Hebert Curry; two grandnephews, David Matthew Hawley and Joshua Christian
Hawley. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 23,
1993, at the First United Methodist Church, Eatonton, Ga. with the Rev. Robin
Lindsey officiating. Interment will follow at 4 p.m. at Evergreen Methodist
Church, Metter, Ga. Memorial contributions may be made to the Virginia Tech
Foundation, identified as a contribution to the Oris Glisson Scholarship Fund.
Oris was a long-time, active member of Christ Episcopal Church in Blacksburg.
A memorial service in her honor will be held at Christ Church on Friday,
December 3, 1993, at 11 a.m.
by CNB