WCU inducted five new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2023. Front row from left, Barbara Loustalot Hamilton and Sandra Simmons King. Back row, W.L. “Trey” Folse and Thomas McSwain. Not pictured, Keith Rischer.
William Carey University inducted five new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame during 2023 Homecoming festivities – pastor Thomas McSwain Jr., nursing author and speaker Keith Rischer, and lifelong educators W.L. Folse, Barbara Hamilton, and Sandra King.
“Carey has a 130-year history of producing graduates who have answered God’s call to serve others. This year’s class is a great example – three educators, an expert nurse clinician, and a minister who we honored for their outstanding service,” said WCU President Dr. Ben Burnett.
“We are proud of these graduates, as well as all of our graduates, and look forward to helping more quality individuals like these five honorees as they make our state and nation a better place.”
The induction ceremony was held April 14 at WCU’s Hattiesburg campus. Here’s a look at the honorees:
W.L. “Trey” FolseW. L. “Trey” Folse of Folsom, La., is a two-time graduate of William Carey University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1982 and a master’s degree in 1985. He was a member of Carey’s basketball team, playing for Coach John Stephenson – as well as serving as a graduate assistant coach in baseball for Coach Stephenson and Coach Steve Knight’s first-ever graduate assistant coach in basketball.
Folse has dedicated his career to serving children, educators, and families.
He began his teaching career at his alma mater, Slidell High School. During 35 years with his hometown system, he rose through the ranks as a school leader and district administrator. The school board appointed Folse superintendent of St. Tammany Parish in 2010. His success in that leadership role earned him the title 2017 State of Louisiana Superintendent of the Year.
During his time as superintendent, Folse received many other awards, including Crimestoppers’ Excellence in School Safety and Prevention Award, Community Service Award from the Covington Branch of the NAACP, and St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees “Man with a Mission” Award.
In 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, Folse joined the Louisiana Department of Education as its first assistant superintendent of School System Relations. He established a new unit dedicated to strong relationships and open lines of communication between his state agency and Louisiana’s 70 public school systems.
Folse is married to his best friend, Patty, who is also a lifelong educator. They have two children, Will Folse and his wife, Rachel, and Abby Morris and her husband, Jake. Patty Folse also blessed her husband with two step-sons, Jack and David Witte. The couple has four grandchildren – with a fifth on the way.
Barbara Loustalot HamiltonBarbara Loustalot Hamilton of Hattiesburg graduated from William Carey University in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She later earned a master’s degree in English and an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Mississippi State University.
During her student days at William Carey, Hamilton was president of the Baptist Student Union, officer of her sophomore and senior classes, and officer of the Student Government Association. Her classmates voted her a “Class Favorite,” a “Beauty,” and “Miss William Carey.”
She retired in 2022 after a six-decade career in education, including roles as English teacher at high schools and colleges, grant-writer, and executive assistant to the WCU president.
Hamilton also taught many classes and seminars for the church on the local and state level. She was a consultant for the Mississippi Baptist Convention in the areas of single adults, ministers’ wives, and missions. She wrote training materials for the Southern Baptist Convention and an English workbook for Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Publisher. She was on the teaching staff for Mississippi Baptist Convention’s youth weeks at Gulfshore Conference Center for many summers.
Hamilton has served in many professional organizations, including Delta Kappa Gamma since 1977. She has received many awards, including Outstanding Young Woman of America, Phi Theta Kappa Outstanding Educator of the Year, Meridian Community College Outstanding Faculty of the Year, and Outstanding High School Teacher. In Hattiesburg, she served on the board of the Downtown Hattiesburg Association, the Historical Preservation Association, and the 19th Amendment Celebration Committee.
In 2022, WCU conferred upon her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
She was married to the late Jackie Hamilton for 43 years and has three children, 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Sandra Simmons KingSandra Simmons King grew up in Mt. Hermon, on the state line of Mississippi and Louisiana. She graduated from William Carey University in 1965 with both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. She majored in elementary education and minored in biology. She earned master’s and education specialist degrees in elementary education with an emphasis on early childhood education from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Mrs. King taught elementary school in Louisiana and Mississippi for 42 years before her retirement.
King was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, a board member of Mississippi Association of Educators, and served on the board of directors of Spouses of International Lions Club. She has been a longtime Bible teacher for children and active church participant. She is a lifetime learner and a supporter of quality education.
She is married to Dr. Tommy King, president emeritus of William Carey University. They make their home in Columbia and have one son, two grandsons, and three great-grandchildren.
King’s philosophy of life is, “I believe the best investment one can make is in the life of another. To spend my time on earth attempting to enable one to have a successful future has brought me much joy and satisfaction.”
Thomas McSwainThomas McSwain Jr. of Collins earned a bachelor’s degree from William Carey University in 1998. He furthered his education at Grand Canyon University with a master’s degree in Christian studies and a doctor of education degree in organizational leadership.
McSwain is pastor of Old Hopewell Baptist Church in Collins. He has served as senior pastor of two other churches – one in Hattiesburg and one in Thomasville, N.C.
He authored a book, “Don’t Fight the Darkness,” with a foreword by Dr. Fred Luter, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention. McSwain is a certified mentor with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for one-on-one discipleship. He also partners with First Sweet Pilgrim Association for Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress, serving more than 300 students.
With Christ’s church as his passion, McSwain serves as a licensed trainer for Send Network of the North American Mission Board. He has served as vice president of Baptist Medical and Dental Missions International in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. McSwain also served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, including a tour of duty in Operation Enduring Freedom.
He has been invited to preach at William Carey University’s chapel services and serves as an adjunct professor of Old Testament Survey.
McSwain and his wife, Sonya, have been married for 27 years. They raised four children together, embracing their role to teach and train their children in the way of God. Three of the McSwain children have enrolled at William Carey University.
Keith RischerKeith Rischer of Anoka, Minn., is an author, nurse educator, and expert clinician with more than 35 years of experience. He is recognized as a thought leader on clinical judgment and its importance for safe nursing practice and improving patient outcomes.
He holds a doctorate – and is also a registered nurse, cross-certified registered nurse, and certified emergency nurse.
Driven by a passion for inspiring and educating the next generation of nurses, Dr. Rischer launched a website, “KeithRN,” in 2012 to pursue his vision of transforming nursing education. His innovative clinical reasoning case studies simulate current practice realities to help students think critically and apply knowledge to complex patient scenarios.
His membership platform, “Think Like a Nurse,” provides active learning and evidence-based teaching strategies to develop clinical judgment essential for safe practice to more than 1,500 educators in more than 200 programs across the United States and Canada.
In 2022, he published “Think Like a Nurse.” This three-volume student textbook set provides practice-based perspective on essential content – including professional identity formation, holistic care, civility in nursing, pathophysiology, and the development of clinical judgment.
Dr. Rischer speaks widely at conferences and workshops on critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and strategies to close the academic-to-practice gap.
Keith is supported in all his endeavors by his wife, Rhonda, and is blessed with five children and six grandchildren.
“The vast impact these five Carey graduates have had throughout their careers inspires me. In education, ministry, health care, family, and community service, they all leave grand legacies. They are great role models and examples for our alumni and students to look up to. They are my heroes,” said Director of Alumni Engagement Pam Shearer.
For information about the William Carey University Alumni Association, email
pshearer@wmcarey.edu.
WCU Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Sandra King and her husband, WCU President Emeritus Tommy King, visit with Shelia Brown of the Office of Advancement and her grandson, Hudson Speights, during Homecoming 2023.
WCU Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Thomas McSwain arrives for the Homecoming Court ceremony with his daughter, Trinity, and wife, Sonya.
During his student days, WCU Alumni Hall of Fame inductee W. L. “Trey” Folse, left, was Coach Steve Knight’s first-ever graduate assistant coach in basketball. Folse is shown at the Homecoming crawfish boil with his wife, Patty, Coach Knight, and the coach’s wife, Regina.
WCU Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Barbara Hamilton, center, visits with Kevin and Pam Shearer during Homecoming 2023. Pam Shearer is WCU’s director of alumni engagement.