All photos courtesy of Fear2Freedom
Name: Rosemary Trible
Alma Mater & Major: University of Texas at Austin Class of ‘71 (after transferring from Sweet Briar College); Double Major in Communications in Radio, Television & Film and Journalism
Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas (but has lived in Virginia since getting married to Paul Trible 44 years ago)
Joy.
It’s not only the one word Rosemary Trible would use to describe herself, but it’s also the feeling you get when in her presence. As a woman who has experienced so much positivity, as well as negativity on the flip side, it’s amazing to see how her smile will light her entire face up.
She sat in front of me in her conference room in the Fear2Freedom office in one of the buildings closest to CNU’s campus, that smile I just described present on her face. In that brightly painted room, teddy bears and Fear2Freedom items were everywhere you looked. Which, of course, is wonderful. As a survivor of sexual assault, Rosemary Trible took it upon herself to spearhead an organization called Fear2Freedom, which provides assistance to sexual assault survivors through kits filled with items to aid the after-effects from experiencing such trauma. But it also does something else that is equally important: spreads awareness around college campuses that sexual assault is real, a problem, and needs to be prevented. Rosemary Trible’s book, “Fear to Freedom,” was one of the starting inspirations to create this organization. Getting to work with children and other young people has not only been eye-opening, but helps her to “radiate joy to those who’ve been affected by abuse,” which she explained when asked about how helping others change their lives with F2F has, in turn, changed her own. Now, F2F has partnered with over 45 combined hospitals and universities to spread awareness about the horrible act of sexual assault. If you’d like to learn more about Fear2Freedom and its impact, click here.
But, being the frontier for such an important campaign hasn’t been the only part of her life that’s been life-changing. For the past twenty years, she has sat as the First Lady to CNU, alongside her husband Paul Trible, whom she met when she was at UT Austin: “I was supposed to be studying when we met,” she told me, a twinkle in her eye. And the rest, as they say, is history.
That history, however, has allowed her the opportunity to experience many great things. In between Paul Trible’s time serving our country as a politician in the legislative branch of the government, both he and Rosemary were able to spend time travelling around the world, helping those in need. Partnering with organizations like Operation Smile, Paul and Rosemary were able to continue doing good for others. In fact, on one of these trips, she met and prayed with the late Mother Teresa, whom she considers to be the role model for her adult life. Rosemary Trible tells me that meeting with her was the defining moment that led her to not only write her novel, but to also do something to change the perspective and culture around sexual assault. “When she told me that ‘we are not measured by our success [but] our faith’, I asked her what I could do,” she said. “And she told me to go home and start with what was right in front of my face.” Obviously, it was great advice.
Despite going to many southern and eastern countries, Rosemary has yet to experience much of Europe. “I’m so excited to go to Ireland,” she said when asked about what place she would like to travel the most, “because I’ll get to be with the band. We have such a great [arts] department here at CNU, and I’m so grateful to experience their trip with them.” She raved about the the theater department as well, and enjoys watching the dedication of the students in the department. When I asked her what she would love to star in, if she could, she responded with any musical. “It would just be so fun! My children would tell you that they’ve been raised on every showtune available; they know them all.”
Rosemary Trible’s children have provided her with that same joy I mentioned earlier, including two grandchildren that she and President Trible can’t wait to “babysit” over Valentine’s Weekend. Her favorite story to tell about her daughter, Mary Katherine, centers around her birth. “Paul and I were in attendance at President Ford’s State of the Union Address” – which was three weeks after her expected due date – “and I was sitting on the floor with the other Congressmen since I was so pregnant. I went into labor during the speech.” She laughs then, remembering it fondly. “The members sitting around Paul and I were taking bets as to whether or not he’d be the first Congressman to have a child born on the floor [of Congress].” Rosemary also said that Mary Katherine was born “shaking hands and making political speeches,” which is a joke that runs through their circle.
Being involved with her family – which has always been an important factor in her life – is just part of her average day. Because of the many baskets she balances, Rosemary is constantly running. Between touring schools, sports teams, hospitals, attending events at the Ferguson, and hosting events in her own home, there is never dull moment for her. One of her favorite events that she hosts with her husband every year includes a dessert party with the entire freshman class. “I get to see the students transform and sense their awe for growth and to change the world for good.” These students go from meeting her at her home to hugging her as they exit the stage at graduation. The inspiration behind the dessert party was to “build personal relationships with the students,” she said. Which, as a freshman, I can honestly say that the event I most looked forward to was the dessert party (she nodded excitedly when I told her this).
And, if you’ve heard the rumor that Rosemary Trible has had her hand in designing campus, I’m here to tell you it’s true. After telling me this tidbit, she added that there’s a running joke that she knows every part of this entire campus. Which, actually, is correct.
But, something that you might now know about her is that she earned the title of America’s Junior Miss in 1967. Now the program is under the title of Distinguished Young Women, but the message is still the same and includes household names such as Diane Sawyer. Rosemary described it as a program that encourages women to “be everything [they] can be.” It provided her with friendships from all around the country, and fueled her passion for travelling. While starting to talk about this, she quickly walked out of the conference room and brought a book back in, opening to the page where her winning photo is located, a bright look on her face as she reminisced about her year as the titleholder. “For that year, I went all over the nation – speaking, appearing… It was so much fun.” It also led her to meet the woman she considers one of her role models, Mary Weatherby. “She travelled with me for that first year, and I learned so much from her.”
Rosemary was also an out-of-state student in college. When asked about advice for students in the same situation at CNU, she smiled before replying. “We try to make it feel like the students aren’t so far away from home, along with a sense of family to encourage the students to live lives of significance.” She wants CNU students that are out-of-state to try to accept those aspects they push, because CNU shouldn’t just feel like school, it should feel like home.
The woman that sat before me during the interview kept a huge smile on her face the entire time, radiating that joy I talked about. When I walked out of her office, I left with a happiness I hadn’t felt before; my life had been changed.
But what can I say? Rosemary Trible just has that effect on people.