SOUL OF STETSON
The Origin
In January 1979, Stetson University Professor Joe Master and Dean Edward Furlong accompanied 40 students on a European mini-semester business seminar, and then tragedy struck. An avalanche took the lives of three Stetson Hatters – Katy Resnik, Scotty Fenlon and Dennis Long.
It has taken us 45 years to gather and truly tell their story. But in the process of honoring and remembering their life, a movement has been born. Their stories become the tapestry that presents the Soul of Stetson to past, present and future Hatters.
Soul of Stetson
Soul of Stetson is an alumni-driven and administration-supported movement that embodies values, experiences, people, and connections. It represents 'THE WHY'—that intangible essence that it’s experienced when interacting with Stetson. It compels us to return, give back, love and engage with the university. Today, all who have been touched by the spark of the Soul of Stetson share the mission of fortifying it for future generations.
Memorial
The loss of Scotty, Katy and Dennis in the 1979 Innsbruck avalanche inspired a grassroots, alumni-led effort to rebuild Hulley Tower. Today, Hulley stands once again as a symbol of remembrance and reflection, strengthened by the addition of a Memorial Plaque honoring members of the Stetson community who have passed away while enrolled as students since the University’s founding in 1883.
We invite alumni and friends to review the list of names and share any additions or corrections so that we may honor every student accurately and thoughtfully on this permanent memorial at Hulley Tower. To provide updates, please contact [email protected]
- Thomas J. Law August 26, 1894
- Harmon Buell January 21, 1895
- Edward Allan March 3, 1896
- Jessie Louise Osgood Martin March 17, 1896
- Lora Fish May 28, 1905
- Alexander Vernan Oeland June 14, 1917
- Harry Wootten July 4, 1918
- Paul Levering Hon July 22, 1918
- D. Guy Allen Sr. December 21, 1918
- Joseph S. Laing November 12, 1918
- Seymour Prestwood September 26, 1918
- William F. Dyson October 30, 1918
- Aileen Decker December 3, 1920
- Ernesto Casaus Need exact date: December 1922
- Guinevere Elizabeth Landis February 18, 1928
- Herbert Griffith Loase October 13, 1938
- Myra Wilson Machen December 23, 1928
- James P. Banks July 27, 1943
- Peter D. Barnhart January 14, 1943
- Robert L. Chesser May 26, 1944
- Charles W. De Foor March 31, 1944
- George W. Goodman November 17, 1944
- John Kurtz March 2, 1944
- Edward May October 23, 1942
- Walter McDonnell, Jr. WWII
- Marion Reid August 17, 1942
- T. Richard Smith, WWII
- Samuel Stone, Jr. April 24, 1945
- William Hill September 10, 1946
- Harold Cross September 28, 1948
- Tom Ewing July 9, 1949
- John Chappell October 8, 1957
- William Joseph Hartman, Jr. December 22, 1965
- Judith Starling August 30, 1966
- Charles Erwin/Irwing September 24, 1966
- Brian Polk January 13, 1967
- Stuart Wyman December 10, 1966
- John Gilmore, Vietnam War
- James Hawkins Gregory January 2, 1972
- Katherine Resnik January 15, 1979
- William Scott Fenlon January 15, 1979
- Dennis I. Long, Jr. January 15, 1979
- Sandra Hamilton April 16, 1979
- C. Thomas September 29, 1979
- Mary Gatins September 1, 1980
- Parris Martin August 22, 1980
- Marianne Cray February 27, 1984
- Justin Patrick Negron August 17, 1984
- Scot (Roger) Wood March 21, 1987
- Mandy Stoll April 22, 1988
- Dian Christensen April 4, 1991
- Christine Monto April 4, 1991
- Jennifer Troxel April 4, 1991
- Jon Christopher Harkins May 18, 1995
- Karen Denise Kelly August 24, 1996
- Ruben Eduardo Torres July 18, 2001
- Marcella Martinez February 9, 2002
- Christopher Donalty February 21, 2002
- Adam Mullen September 23, 2002
- Frank G. Townsend December 1, 2002
- Robert J. LaSalle December 1, 2002
- Alexis Williams February 26, 2003
- Matthew Beeman October 27, 2003
- Tom C. Lane, Jr. December 26, 2003
- Sarah Wilson July 23, 2004
- Raman Subramanian May 15, 2006
- Scott Miller January 17, 2008
- Kirill Lagunchik February 14, 2008
- Austin Wuennenberg July 5, 2009
- David Warren September 24, 2009
- Arsalan Sadighi January 27, 2010
- Justin Watson December 3, 2010
- Logan Kushner January 8, 2012
- Kimberly Clark May 13, 2013
- Odin Firing August 19, 2013
- Theresa Till September 3, 2013
- Timothy Scovanner November 14, 2016
- Dane Belcher March 24, 2017
- Andy H. Thorton March 25, 2017
- Nicholas Blakely August 31, 2017
- Andrew Schmidt January 11, 2020
- Cooper Whitten November 15, 2020
- Jake Williamson June 25, 2021
- Kaylan Flatt August 29, 2021
- Alexa K. Koch November 7, 2021
- Winston M. Kahn II September 11, 2022
- Kaleb Walker February 4, 2023
- Trent Stewart May 9, 2023
- Logan West November 6, 2024
- Hailie Larson October 23, 2025
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars and secure your spot for our upcoming engagement opportunities
FEB 07
Hulley Tower Dedication
Join us for a once-in-a-generation celebration as we dedicate the newly rebuilt Hulley Tower, 91 years after the original tower was dedicated in January 1935.
Feb 7 | Hulley TowerRSVP
Hulley Tower Dedication: Live Stream
Remember
In the summer of 2023, some alumni returned to Innsbruck to reconnect and remember their lost friends. Their stories, and many others, have been captured in the Remembering Innsbruck documentary, which honors those memories and gives voice to the strength to be found in the Stetson community still today.
Reconnect
As more alumni came together, inspired by what happened on the mountain in Innsbruck 45 years ago, something much larger surfaced. An alumni-led, multigenerational grassroots movement began. Alumni, students and others started reflecting on their Stetson experiences, shared values... and the best within us.
Soul of Stetson emerged.
Reengage
Hulley Tower Reconstruction
Alumni–thinking of Innsbruck and the Soul of Stetson, and their tangible representation–then looked to Hulley Tower, which had been taken down to its base in 2005 after sustaining catastrophic damage during consecutive hurricanes. The new tower would become not only a memorial for those lost but a symbol of the Soul of Stetson and a vibrant space to gather and celebrate as a community. A fundraising campaign to rebuild Hulley Tower started.
Honoring Legacy and Tradition
A Transatlantic Remembrance
On January 15, 2025, Stetson University honored the memory of students Katy Resnik, Scotty Fenlon and Dennis Long, who tragically lost their lives in a 1979 avalanche. In DeLand, a new tradition, Ring in the New Year, began as students, faculty and staff gathered to ring the Scotty, Katy, and Dennis bell, symbolizing hope and reflection. Simultaneously, in Innsbruck, Austria, the Grassmayr Bell Foundry cast a second bell in their honor, lighting candles in remembrance. This transatlantic tribute united communities.