Administrator

Coach

Teacher

Community Leader

Avis Martin Stewart, Marion High School Class of 1970, is a longtime teacher, coach, and administrator, first at Marion Community Schools, then at Richmond High School, then at Earlham College, where he has helped promote goodwill and cooperation between the college and the community, and has played key roles in Earlham capital projects and nonprofit undertakings in the Richmond community. He has distinguished himself both as a servant of public good and as a healer of divisions in his community.
At Marion High School, he excelled in academics and athletics. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in education from Earlham College in 1974, and his master’s from Ball State University.
After one year teaching at Marion Community Schools and five years at Richmond High School, he began his tenure at Earlham in 1980 as an English instructor and basketball coach. Since then he has held various administrative roles, and in 2002 was appointed Vice President for Community Relations. In that role he has worked tirelessly to build bridges of cooperation and collaboration between Earlham College and the Richmond community. In 2015 he assumed the duties of Vice President of Institutional Advancement, while still continuing his role as VP of Community Relations.
At Earlham, Stewart has also counseled, mentored, and befriended students, faculty, and staff. He has served on boards and in other roles for a wide variety of community organizations, including the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Boys and Girls Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Parks Department, the United Way, the Wayne County Foundation, the City of Richmond Visioning Committee, the Mayor’s Economic Vitality Committee, and more. He is an invaluable resource as he is able to rally others around the philanthropic efforts of the community. He has been a model and inspiration in the lives of past, current, and future leaders, including youths who will serve Earlham and the Richmond community for years to come.
He has earned various awards, including the Sagamore of the Wabash, given by the governor of Indiana. He was inducted into the Earlham Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual and as a member of the 1970-71 men’s basketball team. The Avis Stewart Clubhouse was named in his honor in the Randal R. Sadler Stadium at Earlham College.