Ethel Detch
What do you feel is the value of a broad-based liberal arts and sciences education?
My broad-based liberal arts and sciences education taught me to think, reason, and write. To live in a global economy, it’s so important to have some knowledge of many things. In my career as a legislative researcher, I helped shape public policy in diverse subject areas such as health, education, transportation, and criminal justice. I helped bridge the gaps between levels of government, and people with various interests. Having had that broader exposure was very beneficial.
How has your Eberly degree contributed to your professional career?
For most of my career I worked for Tennessee’s Comptroller of the Treasury. The Comptroller’s Office handles several legislative oversight functions—the checks in “checks and balances” between the branches of government. It’s very similar to the federal Government Accountability Office that works for Congress. I was the Director of Research and Education Accountability. My office conducted public policy and research on any topic that the General Assembly requested. We were the legislature’s “eyes” and “ears.” I had to be able to generally understand a wide variety of topics—everything from infant mortality to highway construction to education finance. We had to be able to write about what we had found in concise reports that could be grasped easily by busy policy makers.
It really was the perfect job for a liberal arts major. My Eberly degree contributed to my overall knowledge of government and political processes which I used every day of my career. At WVU I was introduced to public administration, state and local government, and constitutional law—all of which I used frequently in my work. After I graduated from WVU, I got a Master’s degree in public administration which also provided a strong foundation for my work.
As an undergraduate, by chance I took a women’s literature course from Dr. Judy Stitzel That class really opened my eyes to women’s changing roles in society. It was the 1970’s and women everywhere were challenging the status quo. She inspired me and so many others. If I look back over the reports my office produced, the welfare of women and children is a common theme, and some of that started with her.
In addition, I was selected for the Carl M. Frasure Legislative Internship in 1976. At the time, I had no idea that I would spend 30 years working in a legislature, but that experience sparked my interest in legislative process and public policy. Sitting on the floor of West Virginia’s House of Delegates watching the members go about their work was a life changing opportunity for me.
What is your fondest memory of WVU?
It’s really not possible for me to choose a single memory. I’m a third generation WVU graduate so my love for the Mountaineers is part of my soul. My parents met there, and several of my family members have gone there. When I was a small child, my family gathered around the radio to listen to WVU basketball with Jerry West and “Hot Rod” Hundley. I still value the friends I made at WVU. I do love it when the band (or anyone else) plays “Simple Gifts.”
I’ve lived all of my adult life in another state, so I don’t see other West Virginians every day. Probably as a result, I feel such a connection to the “Mountaineer Nation.” I’m supportive of the WVU Alumni Group here in Nashville and attend the “West Virginians’ Picnic” each year in Columbia, Tennessee. My husband, (an Illinois native) thinks the idea of seeking out other displaced West Virginians is so quaint, but it’s a way that I maintain some connection to my native state.
What makes you most proud of being an Eberly graduate?
Arts and Sciences are the core of a university and also the foundation for the other colleges. I’ve studied a little about the Land Grant Universities and their original purpose of providing a link between academia and everyday citizens. West Virginia University has played such an important role in helping more West Virginians obtain an education and thus be more productive members of society. I’m proud to be one of many people whose lives is richer because of that education. I’ve tried to use it further the education of others.
What advice would you give to future students? Although it’s important to be a bit practical in selecting one’s career, I would advise future students to follow their hearts, even if other people aren’t supportive. People should pursue what they love. Success takes lots of hard work and it’s so much easier to work hard at something you love. I also wish I had taken greater advantage of the many opportunities that a university campus offers. I wish I still had access to the wonderful speakers and performances that were available at no cost! College is such a wonderful opportunity to think about oneself and the rest of world, and it passes so quickly.
