Phyllis Keith Calvin was educated in Austin schools, and she continued her education at Indiana State University to earn a Bachelor?s degree and a Master?s degree in education, and at Indiana University to earn an Education Specialist degree in Administration. During her first 14 years of teaching she taught elementary school in Indianapolis, Chicago and Cincinnati before returning to Austin schools, teaching in the middle school for the next 30 years. Primarly she taught reading and English, but also taught art, physical education, and spelling. Because of a never ending love for both the job and the students, it was decided the recipient of the scholarship would be a graduating student from Austin, with the goal of becoming a teacher.
This scholarship was started now because Phyllis wanted to show that an individual did not have to die in order to have a scholarship started in their name, plus there is a joy of meeting some of the deserving recipients. For those receiving the Phyllis Calvin Educational Scholarship in later years, the following is a bit of information that goes beyond the classroom.
?I was married to Cecil Lawrence ?Larry? Calvin who was a teacher of mathematics and science, and I have one daughter, Lisa Calvin, who is a Spanish professor at Indiana State University. My husband and I had many interests outside the classroom. The three of us traveled to many places pulling our travel trailer, including one five-week round trip to the west coast, stopping along the way to visit Corn Palace in South Dakota, to take a helicopter ride over Mount Rushmore, to attend a rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and to see a wild west show in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We continued our way west to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and stopped one night in Ogden, Utah, so we could pick Bing cherries in the campground. We sampled gambling in Reno, drove along Highway 1 in California enjoying the breathtaking views before making a stop at Disneyland, and then a final major stop at Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Following such a satisfying and inspiring trip, we decided to help others enjoy the camping experience and purchased land and developed Lakeside Camping on Hardy Lake, which resulted in the end of our own camping days. Our own recreation during free time then became the time we spent boating, skiing and fishing on the lake or on the Ohio River. While still living in the Deputy area, we bought an airplane and started taking flying lessons. We flew frequently to Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, Larry?s parents? home in southeastern Ohio, and to Florida. We also sampled other modes of transportation by taking Amtrak to the west coast and back, and by cruising on the Mississippi River on the Mississippi Queen.
After a few years we sold the campground and moved to Madison. Still ready to try new things, we leased a driving range and miniature golf course for a couple of years, then tried three different ventures in the restaurant business (one of which we introduced the taco to Madison in the early 80?s). Finally ready for some rest and relaxation, we took up golfing and let it consume our time for many years. Larry was even golf champion at the Madison Country Club 5 times, and when he died in 2004, his fellow golfers had a memorial garden dedicated to him at the small golf course that is close to the IKE Plant. Giving back to the community through community service organizations and their fundraising activities for scholarships, and mentoring young golfers were central to our interests during his retirement years.
Following Larry?s death and my retirement I became a lover of the game of bridge and played at least three or four times a week, including bridge competitions around the state. I also became very involved with the activities of my church, plus singing in the choir, serving at bereavement dinners and working on the finance committee for many years. I enjoyed many years of performances at Hanover College and at Actor?s Theatre in Louisville. My daughter helped fill in the void that was made by the absence of my husband and we started doing a lot of traveling. We have so far taken eight cruises: Alaska twice, because we love the glaciers; four of the Hawaiian islands during Christmastime; the New England-Canadian coastline; the Mexican Riviera; the western Caribbean that included the Mayan Peninsula; and the Baltic Sea, visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Russia. Before boarding for that cruise, we hiked over the white cliffs of Dover, England, after visiting the Canterbury Cathedral. A later cruise to the Mediterranean included riding a gondola in Venice, walking excavated sites in Pompeii, walking along a crater of Mt. Etna and climbing/walking around a medieval wall in Croatia. In addition to the cruises, we took a bus tour of Iceland, a guided tour of Thailand, and road trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains and travel along Route 66. In addition I took a couple of trips with church groups, one a mission trip to England and the other a choir trip to the Holy Land.
It is my desire that the recipients of this scholarship will not only finish their degree but will also have the desire to try new things and have many adventures beyond their everyday surroundings.?
