Dr. Marilyn Emplaincourt, Long-Time UA Administrator, Remembered at Tuscaloosa Sister Cities Event

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Marilyn Emplaincourt, a long-time University of Alabama administrator known for her many contributions to international education, was honored by the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International organization at an Earth Day event on April 22.

Emplaincourt, who died in 2010, was one of three charter members of the Sister Cities organization recognized at the event. Sister Cities dedicated three cherry trees with bronze plaques recognizing the contributions of Emplaincourt as well as Jim Fitts III and Rainer Albright Jamison to the organization. The trees are located near Madeiros Point on the Riverwalk Parkway along the Black Warrior River.

Emplaincourt was director emerita of the Japan program and associate director of Capstone International Programs when she retired in 2006 after more than 30 years of service to UA. A three-time UA graduate, Emplaincourt began her career at the University as assistant to then-President David Mathews immediately after completing her doctorate in French literature.

Instrumental in UA’s efforts to expand its international programs and to develop a new focus on Japan, she established UA’s Japanese language program, its Japan Culture and Information Center and its partnership with numerous universities in Japan. She also developed both the Japanese Saturday School and the German Supplementary School when JVC and Mercedes, respectively, built their plants in the Tuscaloosa area.

Emplaincourt also established relationships with universities in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Korea, and The Netherlands, facilitating study-abroad opportunities for UA students and reciprocal exchanges for faculty and staff.

In the development of international programs at UA, she attracted major funding from the Japan Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and the U.S. Institute of Peace.  She published the monthly newsletter “International Notes” at UA, beginning in 1980, and contributed articles to the Fulbright News, Look Japan, the Malone Messenger, the Alabama Alumni magazine and other publications.

In 1986, Emplaincourt established and coordinated the statewide Sakura festival and was a charter and active member of the Advisory Board of the Japan America Society of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International organization, where she was instrumental in establishing the Narashino and Schorndorf Sister Cities and, more recently, the Sister Cities partnership with Sunyani-Techiman in Ghana. She was also a co-founder of the Southeast Association for Japanese Research and a member of the Japan America Conference.

An active Fulbright scholar throughout her career, she held fellowships in Japan, Korea, Germany, Pakistan, and Yugoslavia, and was awarded a fellowship to Bulgaria, although she was unable to participate. She also guided students, faculty and staff in their Fulbright applications. In addition, she was awarded fellowships to Tunisia and Jordan through the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

Dr. Michael Picone, professor of French and linguistics, former chair of the department of modern languages and classics and long time colleague, said, “Marilyn Emplaincourt was an exceptional individual whose constant positive outlook and whose unrelenting vision for bringing the world to Tuscaloosa and bringing Tuscaloosa to the world were hallmarks of her character. Her impact on the University of Alabama, on the community of Tuscaloosa, and on West Alabama was far greater than most people know. She was pivotal in helping recruit JVC to the area by helping set up the Japanese school, which in turn set the model and the stage for luring Mercedes Benz and its subsidiary industries to the area, resulting in immeasurable benefits to thousands of individuals and their families in West Alabama. Her life proves that it is impossible to calculate in advance what the impact might be when one person dutifully fulfills a call to serve. That is part of the wonderful legacy that Marilyn leaves for her family, colleagues, and friends.”

Emplaincourt earned her bachelor ‘s degree in 1967, her master’s degree in 1972, and her doctorate in 1977, all at UA.