On Board With Del Oehms Hamilton '84

Del Oehms Hamilton

By Brandie Ashe, MUW Class of ‘07

Del Oehms Hamilton currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mississippi’s First Alumnae Association. She lives in New Orleans, LA, where she is the project manager for Tulane University Library Recovery Center.

What factors initially led you to transfer to the W as an undergraduate?

I transferred to the W at a time when I wasn't sure what to do about school. I had a rough freshman year at George Mason University, and my grades really suffered second semester. I came home that summer knowing I couldn't continue at GMU. A few days later, I went to visit a friend and happened to arrive while the W recruiter was there talking to her. My friend was going to the W, so the recruiter started talking to me and when she heard my story, she went to work recruiting me. She managed to get the W to offer me a small scholarship based on my high school record rather than my dismal freshman year. That recruiter changed my life by getting me to the W. She even managed to get the W to allow me to live in Callaway with my friend as my roommate, even though I was technically a sophomore. I immediately immersed myself in W life and excelled. The irony is, my friend hated the W and actually left after the first month.

What campus activities did you participate in while at the W?

I was a member of the Highlander Social Club, Library Science Club, Student Entertainment Association, Meh Lady (yearbook) Staff, Student Mississippi Educators Association, and Student Government.

What have you been doing since your graduation from the W?

I actually went back to the W and served as the librarian at the Demonstration School before going to USM, where I received my Master's of Library Science in 1986. In the fall of 1986, I took a position as Librarian at St. John High School in Gulfport. In 1988, I accepted a position at Central Michigan University as Instructional Materials Librarian and Children's Bibliographer. In 1990, I accepted a position at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania as Instructional Materials Librarian. I was at Slippery Rock for 18 years, and held various positions including Department Chairperson for 13 years and Coordinator of Library Systems for 12 years.

What are your personal goals for the Mississippi's First Alumnae Association while you are serving as a director on the Board?

I would like to expand communication mechanisms using electronic technologies as much as possible. It is vital that we build our membership base, and communication is crucial.

As well as being a member of the Board of Directors, you also serve as the chair of the association's Information Management committee. What are your goals for that committee for the upcoming year?

In addition to establishing a solid mechanism for centralizing our membership data collection, I would also like to see us build on our success in holding an electronic election by using the lessons learned from this past year.

What is your personal position on the possible name change for the W?

I am firmly against changing the name without solid reason to do so. Enrollment has increased without changing the name, so there is a market for what the W is currently.

Do you feel that the W’s professed women's mission is still relevant in today's educational climate?

Absolutely!

What do you recommend new graduates do to become more involved as MUW alumnae and alumni?

I would like to see us build our young alum membership. I would encourage all new grads to activate their free year of membership in Mississippi's First Alumnae Association. There are many ways to become involved in the organization no matter where you are located.