Ruth Ann Maddox Broome

Following graduation, I attended Mississippi College. After my freshman year, I married Jerry Broome. We dated during my senior year at CHS. Jerry and I found a duplex to rent in Clinton (between Marsha’s grandmother - in the duplex - and Marsha’s parents - next door). For two more years, I attended MC, preparing to teach Home Economics. In the meantime, Jerry worked at Vickers, making hydraulics for Polaris submarines and going to Hinds at night. After my junior year at MC, Jerry and I moved to Hattiesburg for both of us to attend USM. We both finished undergraduate degrees there - mine in 1970 and Jerry’s in 1971. My last semester of college - still pursuing that BS in Home Economics - I completed my student teaching, and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I would have to get pretty hungry to make a living teaching home economics to kids who considered that class to be a break from "real" classes.

My college advisor, Dr. Margaret McCarthy, suggested that I might like dietetics, since I loved cooking and nutrition. After earning an MS in Institution Management/Dietetics, I went to work for Methodist Hospital in clinical dietetics, and later in foodservice management. After three years at Methodist, Dr. McCarthy called me to offer me a job teaching at USM in a new program that she was putting together to offer dietetic students the option of completing their "internship" while they were working toward their undergraduate degree (a coordinated program in dietetics). I taught a year in Hattiesburg, then moved back to Clinton when Jerry was transferred to Jackson with Smith’s Sunbeam Bakery, where he was a Sales Supervisor. This spring, the USM Coordinated Program in Dietetics graduated its last class of students. Some of the other faculty coerced me into speaking for the pinning ceremony, as I was the faculty member of longest duration. Except for a year spent working in cardiovascular rehab at MS Baptist Medical Center in 1987-88, I worked as a clinical instructor and coordinator of clinical experiences in Jackson facilities during the 24 years that the program existed.

In 1992, in an attempt to meet a need for more flexible supervised practice in dietetics education, I wrote a self-study for a second supervised practice program in dietetics at USM, an Internship, to be offered to students who had completed an undergraduate degree in dietetics. That program was approved, and now, in its eighth year, is the only accredited supervised practice dietetics program offered by USM. We are scheduled for a site visit for accreditation in the fall of 2001, so are beginning work on a Self-Study now. I love clinical teaching in dietetics, and can’t imagine doing anything else as a profession. As the Internship Director, I work closely with dietitian preceptors at the VA Medical Center, the University of MS Medical Center, and MS Baptist Medical Center, as well as River Oaks Hospital and Renal Care Group. To take up the slack left by the closing of the Coordinated Program, the Internship will also begin this fall placing interns at Forrest General Hospital and Methodist Hospital in Hattiesburg.

Jerry left Smith’s Bakery in 1993, after 23 years, to take a position as Maintenance Director for First Baptist Church in Clinton. Up until that time, his value as the consummate handyman was my well-kept secret. Now the secret’s out! Jerry’s job with FBC has given us the flexibility to be able to participate in several church construction mission trips. He has helped to build churches in AL and GA, and I have worked on ones in MO and GA…what fun!! Our son, Robbie, was able to go on the ones to AL and MO.

Jerry and I have two precious grown children - Sharon, 29, earned a BS in industrial engineering from MS State and a Masters Degree with an emphasis in ergonomics from LSU. She works with EBI Companies, underwriting Workman’s Comp insurance - mainly for health care. She built a house last year in Orlando, and has an office in her home. She is engaged, and she and Jason plan to be married in Orlando in May of 2001. She teaches a singles class in Sunday School at First Baptist, Orlando.

Robbie, our youngest, is 25. He has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from USM, and is one of the managers of The Tavern on the Summit, a restaurant in Mountainbrook, near Birmingham. His fiancé, Jennifer, will graduate from Samford in May of 2001 with a PharmD. They will be married in Clinton on October 7.

We have been truly blessed - we have life and good health, we both have most of our teeth and hair (well, I have hair), and we both have jobs that we would continue doing if we weren’t getting paid. And now we are going to have great in-laws - both Jennifer and Jason are wonderful Christian people - we could not have picked better mates for our kids if we had taken applications and held committee interviews! It will be a busy and fun year.

Our grandpuppy, Baxter, lives with Grammy and Grampy. He was Sharon’s to start with - until she started working pretty long hours. He is a poodle-silky terrier mix - looks like Benji…but WAY smarter and better looking - and he doesn’t shed! You’ll just have to ask Amylou about his best trick…

Like several of my classmates, I have taken up gardening in the last few years. I have to be real careful though, about saying that in front of my husband, for fear of destroying my credibility with him. His philosophy is, "Anyone who says they enjoy yard work will lie about other things!" Several years ago, I retrieved what was left of my Mother’s iris bulbs, some daffodils and a few day lilies from my Dad’s yard. Since then, I have given away over 600 yellow bearded iris bulbs that multiplied from her original ones. I also have given away skillions (is that a word?) of old fashioned triple day lilies from the originals.

In addition to yard work (shhhhh!), I enjoy most crafts and cake decorating (I have been interested in that since CHS). I never sell cakes anymore, but give wedding cakes or groom’s cakes as gifts to folks who are really close. My most recent hobby is stained glass. I have made several pieces - a couple of them fairly large. I’m not very good yet, but still working at it and enjoying it.

We’re looking forward to the reunion!