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Just how deep the Ath's roots are in its community struck Snortum at a memorial reception held there for former Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletic director David Wells, who died in July. "It showed me how much the Ath is a gathering place for the College community; a place where people come to be together," Snortum said. It also provides a telling glimpse at the broadness of her responsibilities. She works with Athenaeum manager David Edwards to oversee the general operation of the facility and supervise the budget.
What's her favorite part of the job? "I like the open-endedness of it," Snortum answers. " I have the freedom to explore ideas; to carry out an idea as far as I'm able to. I'm bringing something to fruition . . . and I don't feel impaired by any sort of political agenda. There's nobody breathing down my neck. I can (book) a very conservative speaker, and then a very liberal speaker, and that's a very liberating feeling."
A look across Snortum's bookshelves drives home the point
while unveiling her eclectic literary appetite. A New Birth
of Freedom by CMC's own Harry Jaffa stands next to various
Anna Quindlen titles, and a copy of Malcom X Speeches at Harvard.
What's very cool about her job—and something she indeed nods
her head to—is the fact that she could potentially invite to
the Ath most any author that struck her fancy. Along those lines,
she is very excited about a humorist series this year that tentatively
includes author P.J. O'Rourke (Rolling Stone's current
foreign affairs desk chief), and a personal favorite, author and
humorist, David Sedaris.
The other thing she enjoys about her job is the students. "I do get to know a few of them pretty well . . and it renews my optimism about life and the world."
Snortum's association with the Ath began years ago, when she was hired on as an assistant to then-director Jil Stark. Her initial introduction to CMC was "as a faculty wife." Bonnie's husband, John Snortum, was the George C.S. Benson Professor of Public Affairs in the psychology department. He was hired at CMC in 1967. Bonnie graduated from college as a music performance major, and while her husband taught, she was juggling jobs as piano teacher, choir director, and as a harpsichordist and pianist in various ensembles. John Snortum died in November 1988. In January 1989, the job of assisting Stark as athenaeum coordinator became available.
"The Ath had suddenly gotten very busy and they needed more help," Snortum recalls. "I started helping in general operations, writing letters and invoices; things like that." When Stark later retired, the director's job went to Snortum.
Her vision then and now has been to cast more fine artists at the Ath's doorstep. A recent brush with flamenco dancers is exactly the sort of variety she says is needed to round out the liberal arts education. And if she has her way, there will be more classical, jazz and folk musicians coming to CMC in the near future.
As for naming her personal dream guests, Snortum thinks for a minute. "Barbara Kingsolver would be one," she answers. "She's a wonderful, prolific writer." Another thrill was having PBS journalist Daniel Schorr on campus last fall.
The phone rings and Snortum lets it go to voice mail. It's not yet noon and there are many calls to return. As for the dream list . . . "I have a long list of people I keep working on," says Snortum, grinning. "Persistence pays. Call it stubbornness or tenacity, but I just keep chipping away."
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