ouachita
FALL 2010
TRADITION
Stepping Up debuts
Homecoming highlights
The O-U-A-C-H-I-T-A tradition Tradition. I seldom hear the word without picturing Tevye thrusting his forefinger into the air as he belts out the iconic prologue to “Fiddler on the Roof.” His fervent commitment to tradition sets the tone for his family’s ensuing pilgrimage. Tradition at Ouachita also sparks deep emotion among students and alumni, whether it’s joining in the Alma Mater’s beloved O-U-A-C-H-I-T-A refrain; reverently singing the university hymn, “See God’s Light,” at Commencement; or chanting “Boom-a-Lacka” at a Tiger football game. But tradition is much more than a sentimental feeling churned up by familiar tunes or cheers. Dictionary.com defines tradition as “the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation.” This issue of The Ouachita Circle is dedicated to exploring and celebrating the rich traditions – old and new – that play an integral role in the Ouachita experience. Here at Ouachita as well as other universities throughout the nation, each class of incoming students embraces and adds to long-held traditions. While the Ouachita student experience typically lasts only four brief years, the impact of cherished traditions can last a lifetime. Phil Hardin, assistant to the president for administration, reflects in a page 2 article about some of his favorite Ouachita traditions, including: A Festival of Christmas, A Service of Lessons and Carols, Scholars Day, Commencement, Tigers and Torches, and honoring and protecting Ouachita’s historic, 75-yearold Tiger statue. Above all, Hardin affirms that the heart of true Ouachita tradition is found in the personal relationships cultivated among students, faculty and staff. That is a valuable lesson that bears repeating for each one of us. New campus traditions showcased in The Circle include Ouachita’s first Founders Day BlogAbout, Stepping Up for Ouachita luncheon and Alumni Milestone Awards. Of course, time-honored university traditions such as Homecoming and Tiger Tunes also get their due. Writing in this issue’s “Closing Thoughts” column, President Horne suggests, “Perhaps traditions above everything else bring us comfort. It is assuring to return to a place, to recite a poem, to remember an event or walk a piece of ground with your memories and gratitude.” As you ponder various Ouachita traditions that bring a smile to your face or tears to your eyes, take time to thank God for Ouachita’s 124-year tradition of fostering a love of God and a love of learning in a Christ-centered learning community.
“Tradition lives because young people come along who catch its romance and add new glories to it.”
Michael Novak
“Traditions exist so we can go beyond them.”
Greg Hawkes
“The school has always been the most important means of transferring the wealth of tradition from one generation to the next.”
Albert Einstein
“Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15
Trennis Henderson Vice President for Communications
President Rex M. Horne, Jr. Vice President for Communications Editor Trennis Henderson Assistant Director of Communications Associate Editor Brooke Zimny Vice President for Institutional Advancement Wesley Kluck External Director of Alumni Chris Babb Internal Director of Alumni Lauren Land
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8 Tradition: Ouachita-style
Phil Hardin, assistant to the president for administration, reflects on valued university traditions destined to remain part of the Ouachita experience for decades to come.
Stepping Up aids scholarships
Inaugural Stepping Up women’s luncheon honors Ouachita alumna and benefactor Sharon Heflin while raising nearly $40,000 to benefit scholarships for outstanding women students.
“If I could turn back time...”
How do alumni view their OBU years? In a recent survey, almost 90 percent agreed or strongly agreed: “If I could turn back time and go to college again, I would choose to attend OBU.”
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Homecoming highlights
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Ouachita Tiger 2.0
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A growing OcTiger Fest campus celebration, the annual Tiger Tunes extravaganza and a thrilling 24-23 overtime football victory set the tone for this year’s Homecoming festivities. An extreme Tiger makeover has restored Ouachita’s beloved Tiger statue to its original splendor. The refurbished 75-year-old campus symbol was unveiled during OcTiger Fest.
The Ouachita Circle is a publication of Ouachita Baptist University’s alumni and communications offices. Send address changes and class notes to: Ouachita Alumni Office 410 Ouachita St., OBU Box 3762 Arkadelphia, AR 71998-0001 E-mail: alumni@obu.edu Phone: 870-245-5506 Contact the Communications Office: E-mail: newsbureau@obu.edu Phone: 870-245-5208 Printed by TCPrint Solutions in North Little Rock, Ark. Cover photo of Ouachita Tiger and Torches ceremony by Callie Stephens. Board of Trustees Curtis Arnold Phil Baldwin Clay Conly Julie Dodge Lewis Eady Jay Heflin Frank Hickingbotham Craig Jenkins Taylor King Larry Kircher Richard Lusby Joe Bill Meador
Mollie Morgan Betty F. Oliver J.D. Patterson Faron Rogers Phillip W. Smith Rita Spillyards William H. Sutton Jeff Teague Ray Turnage Susan Wamble John Ward Gene Whisenhunt
National Directors Mike Buster
James V. Kelley
Chancellor Ben M. Elrod President Emeritus Daniel R. Grant
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Sports Update: 1975 Tiger football team, five others inducted into Hall of Fame Campus Update: Annual Spotlight on Arkadelphia draws crowd to new Heflin Plaza Class Notes: University honors inaugural Alumni Milestone Award recipients Faculty Profile: Students recognize Dr. Terry Carter as Most Inspirational Professor Staff Profile: Lori Motl leads admissions team to recruit largest freshman class in years Closing Thoughts: President Horne affirms impact of cherished campus traditions
Ouachita Alumni Advisory Board President Suzanne Duke Franklin First Vice President Rick Briscoe Arkansas Advisors Kelly Patterson Baldwin, Janet Ehren Gathright, Euodias Goza, Rebecca Meggs Harris, Nathan Hurst, Kale Magness, Tom Murphree, Scott Snider, Heather Brandon Spruill, Terri Bell Swedenburg, Sheri McMullan Swindler and Mel Thrash Out-of-State Advisors Gray Allison, Sarah Atkinson Bennett, Angela Harris Kilgore, Scott Meador, Christine Roberson Street, Eric Torrence and Jan Mitchell Williams
Valued traditions
TRADITION
“The value that Ouachita places on relationships ... will continue to define the ‘Ouachita Experience’ for many years to come.”
photo by Callie Stephens
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W
hen I returned to Ouachita in 1992 to join the administrative staff, I already knew a good bit of Ouachita history and was aware of some of the traditions that make this such a unique place to study and to work. At the first Commencement I attended the following spring, however, I observed a rather odd practice that I soon learned had become a much-loved tradition for some of the graduating seniors. As the line of graduates processed across the floor of Bill Vining Arena past the Ouachita Band playing “Pomp and Circumstance,” some of them stepped out of line and tugged on the doctoral hood of Band Director Craig Hamilton while he calmly conducted the band. Dr. Hamilton didn’t protest and no one seemed concerned. When I asked a co-worker about it later, I was assured everything was OK; this was a Ouachita tradition. I learned the history of the tradition from Dr. Hamilton. He explained that in the late 1980s, a few years after he assumed leadership of the band, a few enthusiastic graduating seniors – chief among them Jim Lloyd – initiated the practice at their graduation. Succeeding classes of band members have continued the tradition to this day.
photo by Callie Stephens
As I reflect on my student memories from the early 1970s, a few traditions stand out: Homecoming floats and parades in downtown Arkadelphia; various editions of the Battle of the Ravine on Ouachita and Henderson courts and playing fields; Sadie Hawkins Day activities at the center of campus; major concerts by the Ouachi-Tones, the Concert Choir and the Concert Band in Mitchell Hall; and numerous dramatic productions in Verser Theatre. Some of those Ouachita traditions continue to this day. I learned that other traditions had developed in the intervening years, just like the band’s “hoodtugging.” Student activities such as Tiger Tunes and Tiger Traks had become mainstays in the campus calendar, with hundreds of students participating every year and helping the Ouachita Student Foundation raise money for scholarships. There were new traditions to recognize academic achievement, such as an annual Academic Awards Banquet and the special recognition at Commencement given to honor graduates, participants in the Carl Goodson Honors Program and the top graduates from the Division of
help define “Ouachita Experience”
by Phil Hardin
Religion and Philosophy, now the Pruet School of Christian Studies. Since joining the staff, I have witnessed the addition of several new traditions at Ouachita. Here are some of my favorites: A Festival of Christmas is a mammoth production of popular and sacred Christmas music staged each year by the School of Fine Arts on the first weekend in December. It is very popular with the public and both presentations are sold out each year. A Service of Lessons and Carols is a special time of worship during the Christmas season. The Division of Music prepares a meaningful service of traditional carols and scripture readings about Advent and Christmas. Several music groups participate and the readers are selected to represent each part of the campus community, from students to senior administrators. Scholars Day was created a few years ago to showcase the research and other creative efforts of Ouachita students near the close of the spring semester. It has grown into an afternoon-long panorama of music and music theatre performances; a juried art show; “poster talks” on research
projects; presentations of honors program research papers; and the annual induction of new members for the Ouachita chapter of Alpha Chi, a national honor society for all academic disciplines. Commencement is now held on the lawn in front of historic Cone-Bottoms Hall. This is a wonderful setting for the final ceremony of a student’s Ouachita experience. The faculty, graduates and their guests are seated in front of Ouachita’s oldest remaining structure, surrounded by academic buildings and residence halls. It’s a beautiful site (and the weather is always great!) Tigers and Torches is a ceremony recently added to the new student orientation program. After dark on the second evening of orientation, hundreds of freshmen and transfer students are led by torchlight to several campus landmarks, including the Ouachita Tiger, where they are introduced to various Ouachita traditions. The ceremony helps new students understand Ouachita’s mission and proud history. Honoring and protecting the Ouachita Tiger has been a Ouachita tradition since the fall semester of
1934. Members of the Senior Class of 1935 raised money to buy a large piece of white, Batesville marble which was used by student Ben Worley to carve the Tiger to pay his tuition for that year. Ouachita students discovered immediately that the Tiger had to be protected from unruly Henderson students, especially during the week preceding the football Battle of the Ravine. (That tradition was continued successfully just a few weeks ago.) Unfortunately, the Tiger’s tail was lost to vandalism many years ago, along with a few teeth, and for years he languished under multiple layers of protective gold paint. Over the past year, however, donations by loyal Ouachita alumni resulted in the restoration of the Tiger to his original, white marble appearance. A ceremony was held at Homecoming on Oct. 23 to reintroduce the Tiger to the campus, with members of Ben Worley’s family participating. Finally, one of the strongest memories of my years at Ouachita, both as a student and as a staff member, is the relationships with faculty and staff members, and the impact they have on the lives of students. I consider the value that Ouachita places on such relationships a very important tradition.
When I returned in 1992, I re-encountered faculty and staff members still at Ouachita 19 years after I graduated; people such as Dan Grant, Ben Elrod, Charles Wright, Francis McBeth, Bill Trantham, George Keck, Betty McCommas, Mary Shambarger, Ken Sandifer, Glenn Good, Bob Stagg, Jim Berryman, Bill Dixon, Paul Root, Bill Vining and Lavell Cole. I realized anew the impact that these people had on my life. I saw that they had been joined by a new generation of leaders and were continuing to cultivate meaningful relationships with students. This Ouachita tradition seems to be stronger than ever. It began with John Conger in 1886 and it has a prominent place in the university’s latest Mission, Vision & Values Statement adopted in 2009. I believe it will continue to define the “Ouachita Experience” for many years to come. Phil Hardin is a 1973 Ouachita graduate. He earned music degrees from Ouachita and the University of Texas at Austin, and has served four Arkansas congregations as minister of music. Since 1992, he has served as Assistant to the President for Administration and also is responsible for External Programs, Institutional Research and University Compliance.
fall 2010
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TRADITION
photos by Callie Stephens
Stepping Up for Ouachita luncheon begins new tradition
“L
adies and gentlemen,” began Glena Tipton, “you have started a tradition today that will hopefully carry on for years and years to provide scholarships for young women so that they might experience the Ouachita connection.” A crowd of 400 Ouachita alumni, current students, parents, central Arkansas business leaders and prospective students gathered Nov. 4 at Chenal Country Club for the inaugural Stepping Up for Ouachita luncheon. The event, designed to benefit scholarships for outstanding women students, raised nearly $40,000 for that cause. Tipton, mother of a Ouachita graduate, served as chairperson for the event. The luncheon also honored Sharon Heflin, Ouachita alumna, community leader and benefactor, as it celebrated the Ouachita experience and its women students. “Yes, we’re biased. We think Ouachita women are special,” said Jay Heflin as he and his brother, Marc, introduced their mother. “As we look across the room today and see so many of you OBU ladies – whether you work there, whether you went to school there or whether you have another connection there – we are convinced we’re right,” he continued. “We are convinced Ouachita fosters excellence, convinced that Ouachita provides an environment for young people to learn, to be successful …” “To grow in compassion,” Marc finished, “and most importantly, to make a difference.” “We believe that nobody embodies these 4 • the ouachita circle
by Brooke Zimny, OBU Assistant Director of Communications
virtues better than our mom,” Jay said. “We are so grateful for the Heflins,” added Ouachita President Rex Horne. “For the service they have rendered, for the influence they have given, for the gifts they have made, for the quality of their lives and for being those examples of difference makers before all of us. Horne presented Heflin a one-of-a-kind purple glass high heel, crafted by Arkansas artist James Hayes, in appreciation for her devotion to the university. “We were so excited about the success of this first Stepping Up for Ouachita,” said Keisha Pittman, Ouachita development officer and a coordinator of the event. “It was a time to realize how important our alumni are to us as we continue to educate future leaders. But more than that, it was fulfilling to see a group of women rally together to support a school they love so much, Ouachita.” Heflin led that charge as she credited “Ouachita, the environment it offers, the people with whom I studied and by whom I was taught” with helping make her and her family’s lives successful. “Education is one of the most important assets we have, and we owe it to our young people to help as many of them as possible to have an opportunity to reach their goals,” she challenged the crowd. Alyse Eady, a 2010 Ouachita graduate and Miss Arkansas 2010, added her support to the cause, saying, “The opportunity to grow as a well-rounded person and somebody who can
tackle anything in the world is what I am so grateful to Ouachita for. All of you being here is going to make it possible for so many young women to go to Ouachita and to continue their education.” Eady was a special guest at the luncheon and participated, along with other Ouachita students, alumni, faculty and staff members, in a Dillard’s style show. The Ouachita Women’s Chorus also performed. Stepping Up “was successful on many levels,” Pittman said. “At the end of the day, I felt like I had been surrounded by trailblazers, women who want to make a difference and leave a legacy at Ouachita for future generations of female students who will be afforded the Ouachita experience and won’t have to struggle so much to find scholarships to make it happen.” The event served as a challenge, as Horne said, “to step up and to step out and to do our part to ensure that Ouachita continues to be the great university that she has been for nearly 125 years.” Next year, Stepping Up for Ouachita will be held Nov. 10 on Ouachita’s campus as part of the university’s 125th anniversary celebration. “Creating a first-time event is exciting and challenging, and Stepping Up for Ouachita was no exception,” said Suzanne Spillyards, a development officer and coordinator of the event. “Ultimately, because of the hard work by our staff, students and volunteers, and the tremendous support of our sponsors, the very first Stepping Up was a huge success.”
BlogAbout posts highlight Ouachita memories O
uachita’s annual Founders Day added a high-tech twist this year: the first-ever OBU BlogAbout. Alumni and friends were invited to blog about their Ouachita story. Several faculty and staff members “met last spring just to talk about social media and how we use it as a university,” explained Lori Motl, OBU director of admissions counseling. “As I was thinking about social media and how viral things can go, I thought how cool it would be to get our alumni to blog about OBU at the same time.” Dozens of bloggers responded to the invitation. A few excerpts from Ouachita’s inaugural BlogAbout include: Angie’s World: Angie Bryant Lechner (’90) Wow! It’s hard to believe that Ouachita Baptist University is 124 years old this year! I was there when Ouachita turned 100 – 24 years ago! I guess that makes me pretty old. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about OBU in some way. My life changed dramatically during my years there. … My faith in Jesus became my own faith, not the faith I inherited from my parents, and I began to learn what it really meant to walk with God daily in a loving, dynamic relationship. I will be eternally grateful for Ouachita. My heart will forever be full of the memories of that place: Walt’s cafeteria, Dr. Grant’s speeches, hanging out on the Bridge, checking my mail at the post office, Noonday, 50 cent movies, the labs in MosesProvine, crossing the bridge to the boys’ dorms, playing racquetball at Sturgis, bowling class … and the list goes on and on and on of the places and people who impacted me and will forever be in my heart. I love Ouachita. Notes From The Trail: Jeff Noble (’90) My days at Ouachita Baptist University were undoubtedly some of the most formative, fun and forever-directing of my life. … OBU was and is magical. More so than the iPad. It was a place for training leaders and making friends. It was a place for self-discovery and spiritual challenge. It was there that my earlier preparation by family, school and church met in blissful
intersection. It was there that I was prepared for days ahead. KELLY’S KORNER: Kelly Martin Stamps (’94) I chose OBU because I wanted to go to a small school and I wanted a Christian school. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life! I made amazing friends – a lot of whom are still my
later, I find myself at a different place, a different woman, a different understanding about Ouachita, but the same (well, if I’m honest, it’s different too!) love for the place that I call home. … Yes, you will automatically do some serious life growing from 18-22, no matter what environment you are in. I’m grateful that I resided at 410 Ouachita for those years! … And I know that it was God’s divine intervention that had me at Ouachita during my cancer journey. From the moment I discovered “the lump” to the day I heard the word remission, there was not a moment that my Ouachita friends did not surround me. Those are times I will cherish all my life and forever be grateful for. RAZORBACK BRITT: Brittney Selvidge Lee (’09) My time at OBU was a whirlwind. I was challenged in the classroom by amazing professors. They taught me so much and made me apply what I was learning. I got to know my professors. I had dinners at their houses and spent hours in their offices talking about both academics and life. I am now in graduate school, and I can wholeheartedly say that OBU fully prepared me for it with a great education.
best friends – and I got a wonderful education. When I think about OBU, I remember the classes and the great professors but mostly my memories are of: Tiger Tunes (Tri Chi won in 1993!); Tiger Traks (which I never won but had a lot of fun trying); Intramurals; Rush, Bid Day and Pledge Week; and so many fun times with friends OBU also is such a neat “family.” I love meeting other OBU grads because it’s just a special bond. … And of course I’m hoping my kids will choose to follow in my footsteps and go to OBU also! BIG PITT STOP: Keisha Pittman (’04), OBU Development Officer I’m one of the lucky ones – those who live in Arkadelphia and call Ouachita … employer! Two weeks after I graduated, I walked into Cone-Bottoms for my first day of work. Six years
Plan to join the second annual BlogAbout in celebration of Ouachita’s 125th anniversary:
JASON WELLS USA: Jason Wells (’10) I credit Ouachita for doing many great things in my life. Words cannot speak my THANKS to the Ouachita Baptist University Family for giving me the greatest four years of my life. The friends I made will last a lifetime. I know wherever I may travel and live in this world, my roots will always run true and deep in that good ol’ Ouachita Tiger Pride and Spirit. TRANSLATIONS OF YOU AND ME: Nicole McPhate, current student (’13) I’ve started my sophomore year at OBU and I couldn’t love anything more: the people, the faculty, the staff, the place itself. OBU is my second home and has captured my heart in ways I can’t explain. I have made some of the best lifelong friends. They pray for me, they show me God’s love and God’s wisdom. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. The education I’m gaining here is God-driven and I’ve never been so blessed.
September 6, 2011 fall 2010
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Making history A
Anniversary book project to feature collection of OBU essays
s Ouachita prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary next year, one of the major projects under development is an anniversary history book. It will feature a historical overview of Ouachita’s first 125 years plus a collection of essays from President Horne and former OBU presidents as well as faculty, trustees, alumni and students. The book, scheduled for release on Founders Day 2011, also will showcase historical and current campus photos. A few brief excerpts include: DR. ANDREW WESTMORELAND, Ouachita President (1998-2006): In perhaps hundreds of conversations over the years, students have asked me, “How did you plan to become a college president?” They expect a neat answer, so my candid response is probably not satisfactory to them. “I never planned to be a college president,” I always say. It is true. Instead of planning, I found myself responding to people and to circumstances. I recognize, many years later, that God was using every shred of my experiences, the good, the bad and everything in between, to prepare me for the challenges that would lie ahead. It is, I believe, the same in every life and occupation. … Not all of the work was easy. External factors, far beyond our control, played a major role, especially the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the lingering effects on the economy. On that evening, we brought our students together in the plaza for a time of prayer. As we gathered, none of us knew the exact perpetrators of the massacre; we just knew that they were our enemies. More than anything else that night, I recall that we prayed for our enemies. … The darkest moments of my tenure, by far, came in the loss of students and other cherished friends. Of these, the worst was on June 1, 1999, when a jet airliner crashed in Little Rock, with many of our Ouachita Singers and the family of Dr. Charles Fuller, director of the group, on board. James Harrison, one of our students, was killed in the crash. Others suffered burns. All were plagued with emotional distress. One of the survivors, Rachel Fuller, Charlie and Cindy’s teenage daughter, lingered, and then, one cruel June day, she died. Our campus community was in a state of grief too deep for me to absorb. Words failed. Others suffered far worse than I could imagine, yet it was the most difficult phase of my life. But the loss taught me to care in ways that I had never known. Life begins anew each morning. And it is the mornings that I remember fondly, the mornings of returning to the stillness of the campus, as students and faculty anticipate the lessons of the day. The joy of seeing lives changed. The fulfillment found in knowing that you are where you are supposed to be. FRANK D. HICKINGBOTHAM, longtime Ouachita trustee and benefactor: On a late summer September Sunday in 1954, I began my association with Ouachita Baptist University. After I loaded my few clothes and personal belongings into my 1949 Plymouth automobile, I began my first trip to the campus. Ouachita was a place I had only heard about but had never been to the school. I am not really sure why I had chosen Ouachita except that I had known since the 9th grade, somehow, I was going to the university. At that time, the road to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, was two lanes, curvy
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and large parts gravel. It was not the easiest place to get to from McGehee, Arkansas, approximately 125 miles away. I should have realized then that the road was just an indicator of how tough my trip to college was going to be. I had very little money and was totally depending upon the Lord to provide a way for me to be there. I had secured all the scholarships and grants I possibly could – band, ROTC and a work grant of 50 cents an hour working for a professor as a secretary. (Thank God I knew how to type.) When I finally reached the campus, I immediately fell in love with what I saw. I knew it was just buildings, streets, trees and grass, but for me, it looked like an oasis in the desert. It made me feel welcome and at home, even though I was just one of hundreds who would be there. I looked for my new home, otherwise known as North Dorm. It was the oldest dorm and building on the campus. It was a two-story red brick manse that could not hide its age. This was clearly confirmed when you went into the inside of the old structure. I was in North Dorm only because I had convinced a longtime friend from McGehee, who was a junior by classification, to room with a lowly freshman. … When I look back at my six decades of association with Ouachita, I am consumed by gratitude and thankfulness that I found my way to the campus that September Sunday afternoon. The impact it has had on my life will not be fully measured until I go a little further on down the road. DR. DEBORAH ROOT, chair of Rogers Department of Communications: My Ouachita career began in 1985 when my dear friend Andy Westmoreland, who would later become Ouachita’s 14th president, hired me to be his secretary for Student Support Services and the Ouachita Student Foundation. In fact, one of my first jobs was to help coordinate 100 birthday parties around the world in celebration of Ouachita’s centennial. … Two years later I became news bureau director and sports information director. While I enjoyed my job, and my husband, Jeff, enjoyed teaching at Arkadelphia High School, we decided if we were going to pursue our doctoral degrees, it was time. We left Arkadelphia in 1989 to attend Oklahoma State University. After graduation in 1991, we were blessed to find ourselves back in Arkadelphia, and both with jobs at Ouachita. …While I have had a variety of jobs in my 25 years at Ouachita, one common thread has been the relationships with students and colleagues, and how those individuals have been a blessing to me and my family. … I remember the first time I walked in the Ouachitonian office when we returned in 1991 and met my first yearbook staff. Little did I know that the relationships built through long nights of meeting deadlines and road trips to journalism conventions would become key memorable moments. I have a picture from our first trip to New York to take students to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention. Jeff and I had attended the same meeting as students, and now we were the sponsors. The picture was taken outside the WABC headquarters in New York following a tour led by Ouachita alumnus and WABC videographer Kelvin Story. When I look at that picture, I don’t just see faces with names. I see relationships.
photo by Brooke Zimny
Alumni survey offers insights for OBU self-study W
hat do alumni really think about Ouachita? Several thousand had the opportunity to share their views in a recent indepth alumni survey as part of the university’s current self-study process. The six-page, 31-question survey was distributed to more than 7,400 Ouachita alumni. Questions addressed issues ranging from key reasons for choosing to attend Ouachita to the university’s level of academic rigor and effectiveness in career preparation. More than 1,000 alumni from the classes of 1942 through 2009 returned completed surveys for an overall return rate of almost 14 percent. In a cover letter accompanying the survey form, President Rex Horne told alumni, “Your responses will help us to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, as well as to consider ways we may strengthen the university for the future.” Among key indicators of overall satisfaction with their university education, 96 percent of respondents rated their Ouachita experience as good or excellent and 89 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “If I could turn back time and go to college again, I would choose to attend OBU.” By contrast, only 68 percent agreed or strongly agreed that “I regularly promote OBU to people I meet” and 75 percent agreed or strongly agreed that “I recommend OBU to prospective students deciding which university to attend.” Dr. Randall Wight, coordinator of Ouachita’s current self-study effort, said the reaccreditation process held every 10 years “is a time for the campus to reflect and ask where we have been, where we are and where we want to go.” The self-study process, which began in the summer of 2008, will culminate with a site visit by the Higher Learning Commission in March of 2011. Wight, chair of the psychology department, described the recent alumni survey as a significant opportunity to enhance institutional self-awareness. “Our alumni are part of the Ouachita community,” he explained. “We are trying in a systematic way to get a read on their perspectives. They are stakeholders; we care what they think.” Alumni input “adds a dimension in telling Ouachita’s story,” Wight said. “We want to show Ouachita’s extent of reach and depth of impact. Our vision is to instill a love of God and a love of learning and we hope to see that vision reflected in the lives of our alumni.”
by Trennis Henderson, OBU Vice President for Communications
North Central Association Accreditation Visit Every 10 years Ouachita Baptist University undergoes an accreditation review by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA). Last accredited in 2001, the university is once again taking part in the process, which involves writing a detailed selfstudy report by Ouachita and a visit to campus by a team of evaluators from HLC-NCA, on March 13-16, 2011. The commission invites comments from the public on Ouachita’s qualifications for accreditation. The comments must be written, signed and sent by Feb. 13, 2011, to the following address: Public Comment on Ouachita Baptist University The Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604
Comments also may be filed electronically at http://www.ncahlc.org/information-for-thepublic/third-party-comment.html
Findings showing that individuals’ Ouachita education had a major or moderate impact in specific areas included: ◆◆“Working cooperatively as an effective member of a team” – 90 percent ◆◆“Solving problems effectively” – 89 percent ◆◆“Using effective leadership skills” – 88 percent ◆◆“Getting along well with diverse people” – 88 percent ◆◆“Understanding international issues” – 74 percent
In other findings, more than 57 percent reported earning a master’s degree or higher after obtaining their undergraduate degree from
Ouachita. More than 93 percent noted that they were either moderately or highly challenged by Ouachita’s academic rigor. A total of 89 percent reported that they were satisfied or highly satisfied with their feelings of worthwhile accomplishment in their careers. Graduates in the past decade indicated that financial aid and quality of education were significant influences in their decision to enroll at Ouachita. Additional examples of how alumni value their Ouachita experience are evident through a sampling of verbatim statements from survey respondents. Comments in the survey responses included:
◆◆“I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend and graduate from OBU.” ◆◆“I loved my time at OBU. It was a safe place to grow, learn, make mistakes and become.” ◆◆“Ouachita was a very formative time in my life. … I am highly involved in my church and community in numerous leadership roles and my education @ OBU has helped me greatly!” ◆◆“I loved OBU and my experience there. God was very clearly leading me there, and those years were some of major growth in my walk with God and in my personal life.” ◆◆“I was very blessed to be able to transfer to OBU. … I received quality education while at OBU that prepared me for my first job and for graduate school.” ◆◆“As a graduate with a biology degree, I felt very prepared for my first job in biomedical research. … My lead investigators were pleased with the breadth of knowledge I received at OBU.” ◆◆“I am extremely grateful for my experience at OBU. The time that I spent as a student there will always be a cherished part of my life story. The faculty truly cared about the students and I was amazed at how interested they continued to be even after we graduated and moved on.”
Citing the overall breadth and depth of the survey results, Wight acknowledged that “there is a diversity of opinion about how to look at Ouachita and we respect that.” Affirming the opportunity to gain valuable insights from university alumni, he concluded, “Ouachita is a place, but it’s more than a place – it’s people.”
fall 2010
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HOMECOMING
OCTOBER 21-23
photos by Kristen Barnard, Alexis Johns, Wesley Kluck, Nicole McPhate, Erica Porter & Callie Stephens
In addition to reunions and fellowship, OcTiger Fest featured the unveiling of the restored Tiger statue, a pep rally led by the OBU cheer and pep squads and a live tiger. At the pregame ceremonies, Allison Cornell (center below) was named 2010 Homecoming Queen. Her court was completed by Amy Campbell (right center), Jennifer White (left center), Kezia Nanda (right) and Julielle Vaught (left). The Tigers fought an exciting football game, earning a 24-23 overtime win over No. 10 North Alabama.
Eta Alpha Omega Men’s Social Club Doctors (top), a first-time competitor, took first place in Tiger Tunes 2010. Kappa Chi Men’s Social Club Pilots (bottom right) and Tri Chi Women’s Social Club White House Secretaries (bottom left) earned second and third places, respectively. Tri Chi also won the People’s Choice Award. The online SIgnal again produced a live webcast and simulcast of Saturday’s finale (above right). Various clubs and organizations hosted after-parties from dress rehearsal Wednesday (above center) to the Etas’ Muggin’ Saturday (above left) The hosts and hostesses again entertained guests with a variety of secular and sacred music (below).
fall 2010
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TRADITION
Ouachita Tiger proudly restored to its former glory O
photo by Nicole McPhate
photo by Wesley Kluck
uachita’s beloved Tiger statue has stood in silent vigil over the campus for more than 75 years. Tailless and weather-beaten for many of those years, the Tiger received a much-needed restoration that was unveiled during this year’s OcTiger Fest as part of Homecoming 2010. The statue, carved by student B.F. Worley in lieu of tuition payments during the Great Depression, was presented to Ouachita during the 1934-35 academic year. Members of Worley’s family were among the guests attending this fall’s rededication service. Welcoming alumni, students, faculty, staff and other guests to the ceremony, Chris Babb, external director of alumni, declared, “After many years of surviving without a tail, the Ouachita Tiger has now been restored to its original splendor.” Jacob Lively, president of the Ouachita Student Senate, noted that “this Tiger means so much to the students here at Ouachita. … It’s great to see the Tiger back to how it looked originally.” He added that the Tiger restoration project is symbolic of “continued growth here at Ouachita.” Phil Hardin, assistant to the president for administration, coordinated the restoration effort which is being funded by gifts from the Worley family, alumni and other friends of the university. Describing the Tiger as “a symbol
of Tiger spirit and Ouachita spirit,” Hardin told the crowd, “Thanks to the enthusiasm and support of a lot of Ouachita alumni and the Worley family, we have found a way to restore the Tiger to its original appearance.” With the completion of the restoration project, he said the Tiger remains “a strong and beautiful symbol of Ouachita.” President Rex Horne concluded the restoration ceremony with reflections about the historical significance of Ouachita’s longtime symbol. “What does the Tiger represent to us?” he asked. In addition to being “a link to our past,” he said the Tiger is special to Ouachitonians in the present and a connection to the university’s future vision and growth. Affirming that the Tiger is “part of the story of Ouachita,” Dr. Horne concluded. “Next year we celebrate 125 years as a university. We’re moving into the future in a very special way.” The refurbished Tiger is surrounded by an ornamental fence, landscaping and security cameras to help protect and preserve the campus landmark for future generations. Citing the statue’s value as a cherished university landmark, Hardin told The Signal, “I urge all Ouachita students to understand the value of the Tiger and to help their fellow students and guests on our campus understand that it should be protected and preserved for generations to come.”
University trustees honor generosity of Walker Foundation
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he Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, one of the leading charitable foundations in the state of Arkansas, was honored Sept. 9 by the Ouachita Baptist University Board of Trustees. The Walker Foundation recently provided a generous grant to establish the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation Pre-Medical Studies Scholarship at Ouachita. Funds from the scholarship will be awarded to an upperclassman in the university’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences who has proven himself or herself academically in pre-medical studies. A resolution unanimously adopted by Ouachita trustees in honor of the Walker Foundation emphasized that the foundation “has demonstrated
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its desire to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people across the state of Arkansas and throughout the region through its philanthropic ventures.” The resolution noted that the Walker Foundation “has supported the mission of Ouachita Baptist University and its students through its generous financial gifts including the Pat and Willard Walker Conference Center,” which was dedicated on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus in 2006. It added that the foundation “has made a difference in the lives of future doctors” by establishing the pre-medical studies scholarship. Trustees expressed their “profound gratitude to the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation for providing this endowed scholarship for current
and future generations of Ouachita students and future doctors.” Ouachita has a rich history of success in producing graduates of the Patterson School of Natural Sciences who continue their education in medical school. The Patterson School has produced five graduates who have received Fulbright awards for study in Germany and another graduate who received a Rotary fellowship for study in Russia. Ouachita’s Patterson School of Natural Sciences boasts an 80 percent acceptance rate among its graduates who apply to medical school. Most of those who are Arkansas residents have attended the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, but Patterson School graduates also have studied at medical schools in several other states.
OBU student-athletes earn variety of awards
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uachita student-athletes in several sports earned a number of accolades during the fall semester. In men’s soccer, Coach Alex Denning was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year and sophomore Rizvan Ceka was named GSC Player of the Year. Denning earned Coach of the Year honors in just his third season as a collegiate coach and Ceka earned the soccer program’s firstever GSC Player of the Year honors. The Tigers earned a total of five spots on the All-GSC Team, including senior defender Alex Tonrey and sophomore forward Sergiu Postolache who were named to the First Team and sophomore midfielder Payam Pourjavad and freshmen keeper Grayson Townsend who were named to the Second Team. Tonrey also was named to the 2010 GSC Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team. In women’s soccer, sophomore Mary Whisenhunt was named to the GSC Women’s Soccer First Team and junior Beth Wendl was named to the Second Team. Wendl also was named to the 2010 CoSida ESPN Academic All-District Women’s Soccer Team as a third team selection. In volleyball, sophomores Megan Askew and Allison Frizzell were named to the 2010 All-GSC Volleyball Second Team. Freshman cross country runner Johanna Casey earned first-place finishes in her first two meets and was named GSC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week. The Ouachita men’s golf team made history by winning its first-ever NCAA men’s golf match, earning the team title in the 2010 University of Arkansas-Monticello Classic at Hurricane Creek Golf Course in Benton. Ouachita recorded a tworound total of 647 to edge out Central Baptist (649) and host school Arkansas-Monticello (651). The golf team previously had won NAIA events before moving to NCAA Division II. Both women’s golf and men’s wrestling debuted this fall at Ouachita. The women’s golf team played in two tournaments this fall and will resume play in the spring. The wrestling team kicked off its inaugural season with the first annual Purple/Gold Intrasquad Match at Bill Vining Arena on Nov. 1. The team competed in its first regular season match Nov. 7 at the Dan Harris Open at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. Freshman Josh Myers finished first in his weight class and four other Tiger wrestlers finished in the top four in their respective classes.
The 1975 Tiger football team is the second team inducted into the OBU Athletic Hall of Fame. photo by Wesley Kluck
Ouachita inducts five athletes, 1975 Tiger football team into Hall of Fame
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uachita officials welcomed the university’s seventh class into the Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame at a Sept. 18 induction luncheon. The 2010 class includes five athletes and one team, adding to the current 36-member Hall of Fame, which was established in 2003. The new class includes Jim Boyette; Lance Cansdale; Steve Halter; Bill Vining, Jr.; Kathy Hobbs Williams; and the 1975 Tiger football team. Ouachita alumnus and current Tiger football play-by-play voice Rex Nelson served as master of ceremonies for the luncheon. 1975 Tiger Football Team compiled a 9-2 record, including a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Henderson State University in the final game of the regular season. The team won the AIC championship and earned a berth in the NAIA playoffs, finishing 4th in the nation in the final NAIA football poll. Jim Boyette, a native of Camden, was All-State as a football player at Fairview High School. As a Ouachita Tiger, he excelled in both football and baseball, starting every game his entire career in both sports and achieving AllAIC recognition in both sports his senior year. Boyette played on four AIC champion baseball teams, three of which went on to win the NAIA District 17 championship. He was the football team captain in 1970 as the Tigers won the AIC championship. He was also named Outstanding Male Athlete at Ouachita his senior year. Lance Cansdale, a native of Vancouver, Canada, was a two-time All-America selection as a Tiger swimmer. Cansdale was instrumental in leading the Tigers to their first-ever AIC championship in swimming. At one time, he
held 12 pool records and was Ouachita’s first individual national champion in the 1,650 freestyle. Cansdale has had great success in coaching swimming, being named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1991 at Simon Fraser University and leading his women’s team to a national championship. He continues to work in Canada directing club swimming for the entire nation. Steve Halter played high school football in DeQueen and earned All-State honors. As a Tiger football player, he started all four years at linebacker, leading the team in tackles over a four-year period. Halter was named captain his senior year and earned All-AIC recognition his junior and senior years. As a senior, he also was named to the NAIA All-America team. Halter also was a standout for the Ouachita tennis team. Bill Vining, Jr. excelled in both basketball and football as an athlete. While at Arkadelphia High School, Vining was All-State in both sports. He started his last two and a half seasons at Ouachita for his father, Bill Vining, Sr., on the basketball team where he was honorable mention All-AIC for two years. Vining played football his last two years in college, leading the AIC in passing in 1974 and 1975 and earning All-AIC honors both years. Kathy Hobbs Williams was a three-sport athlete at Stuttgart High School, earning AllState honors in basketball, volleyball and track and field. As a Ouachita Tigerette, she was AllAWISA in basketball and volleyball. In 1973, she was invited to try out for the National AWISA team that would tour and play against the Soviet Union team during its U.S. tour. She made it to the final cut, a significant accomplishment for her. fall 2010
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photo by Callie Stephens
Spotlight on Arkadelphia features new location
Ouachita’s 17th annual Spotlight on Arkadelphia featured a new location this fall. The campus event was held Aug. 24 at Heflin Plaza which was dedicated in June. The annual event is held the night before classes begin for the fall semester. Spotlight provides an opportunity for area businesses, churches and civic organizations to spotlight their services for new and returning students. Approximately 90 vendors participated in this year’s event which attracted several hundred students, faculty and staff members. Community participants provided free samples, coupons, brochures and other giveaways during the two-hour event. Heflin Plaza features a 300-foot-long pedestrian bridge that links the university’s main campus and North campus. The plaza was dedicated in memory of prominent Little Rock businessman Johnny Heflin, former chairman of the Ouachita Board of Trustees, and in honor of the Heflin family.
Tiger Serve Day crowd shatters previous record
Ouachita’s semi-annual Tiger Serve Day attracted a record number of volunteers this fall. The student-led community service blitz is sponsored by Ouachita’s Ben M. Elrod Center for Family & Community. The Sept. 25 event included 920 students, faculty and staff members serving on more than 80 teams and completing 100 projects for individuals, families, churches and organizations throughout the Arkadelphia area. The 920 volunteers shattered the previous record of 707 volunteers who served earlier this year in the spring 2010 Tiger Serve Day. This semester’s Tiger Serve Day involvement represents more than 60 percent of Ouachita’s fall enrollment of 1,503 students. “We were thrilled that so many volunteered this semester,” said Judy Duvall, assistant director of the Elrod Center. “More volunteers mean more
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people are touched in this community. More than anything, we hope that the community is able to see and experience the love of God through the volunteers.” “Tiger Serve Day was better than ever this year, and that’s due to all the hard word and effort put in by everyone who participated,” said leadership team member Emily Morgan, a junior accounting major from Mountain Home. “People all over Arkadelphia were able to have a lot of work done on their houses and yards that otherwise may not have gotten done. Ouachita students helped improve the look of the town, as well as put smiles on people’s faces.” The community service effort, which began following the tornado that hit Arkadelphia in March 1997, is marking its 14th year of service. During that time, volunteers have logged more than 44,000 hours of community service.
Beck and Engulu named University Scholars
Stephanie Beck, a senior French and Russian major from Sheridan, Ark., and Emmanuel Engulu, a senior Christian studies, theology and kinesiology major from Keller, Texas, have been named University Scholars by Ouachita’s College Society Advisory Board. Stephanie Beck Emmanuel Engulu To be named a University Scholar, a student must “exhibit the highest level of academic achievement with the goal of serving Christ in the university community,” explained Dr. Doug Sonheim, professor of English and coordinator of the University Scholars program. Each applicant must submit a written statement of his or her Christian faith, be recommended by a faculty member, have at least a 3.5 GPA and plan to earn a PhD. Beck plans to pursue her PhD to teach French at the university level and Engulu plans to earn a PhD at an Ivy League university and pursue a professorial career. Beck and Engulu join Sarah Stark as current University Scholars on campus.
photo by Callie Stephens
Department of Theatre Arts stages two fall plays
Ouachita’s Department of Theatre Arts staged a pair of productions this fall in Verser Theatre: “Wiley and the Hairy Man” by Suzan Zeder and “You Have to Serve Somebody” by Arkansan Werner Trieschmann. “Wiley and the Hairy Man,” Ouachita’s annual children’s play, was directed by Daniel Inouye, assistant professor of theatre arts. It was presented Sept. 23-28 with a youth theatre workshop offered in conjunction with the Sept. 25 show. “We always start our season with a children’s show for a number of reasons,” Inouye said, “primarily to provide an opportunity for area school children to experience a theatre production.” “You Have to Serve Somebody,” directed by Mary Handiboe, associate professor of theatre arts, was presented Nov. 4-9. Trieschmann, a former OBU theatre intern from the early 1990s, teaches playwriting at Hendrix College in Conway. “I’m excited that we’re producing one of Werner’s plays,” Handiboe said. “This gives our students the rare opportunity to interact with their author as they seek to bring his quirky characters to life.”
Art department receives works of noted artist
Noted Little Rock artist Charles Fogle came to Ouachita about 14 years to hold an art exhibit in Hammons Gallery. Fogle, who passed away this spring, left a majority of his artwork to Ouachita’s Department of Visual Arts. “He told me he had never received such a warm welcome as he did on Ouachita’s campus,” said Raouf Halaby, professor of visual arts and English. “He was so deeply touched by the manner in which Ouachita students responded to him and by the professional courtesy extended by the art faculty.” The donation includes 24 of Fogel’s original works, a collection of more than 1,000 slides, art supplies for students, original illustrations, preliminary
sketches, professional correspondence, journal entries, books and show catalogues. The most substantial part of the donation features 300 signed and numbered original prints of one of his watercolors. “To honor Charles’ memory, we hope to sell these prints to raise funds for the Charles Fogle Art Scholarship,” Halaby said. “If we can sell all 300 prints, then we will be able to provide $30,000 worth of scholarships.” “My father had a heart to teach others about art,” said Fogle’s daughter, Rebecca Bohannon. “I think it is grand that there will be a scholarship named in my father’s honor.”
Chelsy Lewis crowned Miss Arkansas Collegiate
Chelsy Lewis, a junior at Ouachita, was crowned Miss Arkansas Collegiate Oct. 16. She will represent Arkansas at the Miss Collegiate America Pageant Jan. 6-8, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas. Lewis, daughter of Mike and Sherry Lewis of Benton, competed against contestants representing colleges and universities from throughout Arkansas. She is majoring in Chelsy Lewis communication sciences and disorders at Ouachita. Lewis is a cheerleader for the Ouachita Tigers, serving as captain for the 2009-2010 season. She also is a member of the Chi Delta women’s social club and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. Lewis was crowned Miss Saline County Fair Queen in 2007 and also was named Miss South Central Arkansas Outstanding Teen. Lewis also participates in Tiger Serve Day and has volunteered for Miracle League of Arkansas, Boys and Girls Club, Tigers for a Cure, Race for the Cure and Courage House activities. A member of Holland Chapel Baptist Church in Benton, she has participated in two mission trips during the past two years. The Miss Collegiate America Pageant is designed to promote scholastic achievement, school involvement and community involvement among participants. fall 2010
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c on nec t i ng t h e c i rc l e
1940s
Frances (Overton) Royston (’42*) and her husband, Arthur, celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on May 8. She is retired from Winthrop Rockefeller Public Relations in Little Rock. The couple has two children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
1960s
Clarence Shell (’60) and his wife, Virginia, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 30. Shell is retired from the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. He and his wife have three children, 11 grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren. Don and Almeda (Park) Elliott (both ’61) of Bella Vista, Ark., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 6. He is a retired superintendent of Cabot Public Schools and she is a retired special education supervisor for Cabot Public Schools. They have four children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Gerald Griffin (’61) and his wife, Jean (Bradsher ’60*), celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Florida and the Gulf Coast. They have two children and three grandchildren. Dr. Mary Ann (Briscoe) Campbell (’67) was named the primary spokesperson for IndexCreditCards.com. A Certified Financial Planner and financial literacy teacher, Campbell was named by Money magazine as one of America’s 200 best Certified Financial Planners and has won national awards for her Money Magic ETV series on PBS. Carolyn June (Thurmond) Brooks (’69) recently retired after 40 years in education. She and her husband, Charles, live in Fayetteville, Ark. They have four children and five grandchildren. Diane (Murray) Congdon (’69) had an impromptu reunion with fellow graduates 14 • the ouachita circle
Jerry Stewart (’59) and James and Margaret (McKenzie) Herzfeld (both ’62) at the R Lazy S Ranch near Jackson Hole, Wyo., in late September. Lamont Cornwell (’69) is the director of the Community Development Department in Benton, Ark. His job focuses on economic development and overall community management and development.
1970s
1980s
Dr. Jimmy Cornwell (’80) and his wife, Mary Olivia, recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. They live in Washington State, where he established Cornwell Eye Care. Charlie Whitworth (’81) of Hot Springs lost his daughter, Lauren Elizabeth, on Aug. 13 due to complications following surgery. He requests ongoing prayer support.
Dr. James Hankins (’75) of Arkadelphia was elected to the Board of Directors for Kairos Prison Ministry International and his wife, Beverly ( Johnson ’76), was elected to the International Council of Kairos. Kairos is the second largest prison ministry in the world with more than 30,000 volunteers in 35 states and eight countries. David Robinson (’75) is serving on staff as director of youth at Barcelona Baptist Church of Hot Springs Village. Wanda (Whitney) Fincher (MSE ’77) and her husband, Jimmy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 15. They live in Prescott and have three children and six grandchildren. Lisa Cheryl Thomas (’77) received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance in May from the University of North Texas. Thomas recently presented recitals at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and at the Kennedy Center. She has signed a contract to make a recording in London in the near future. Jim Spann (’79) received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for “impacting the direction of research and leading efforts in heliophysics and the communities of astrophysics, lunar and Earth science.” He is currently the head of the Science and Exploration Research Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Jeff Bennett (’85) of Nixa, Mo., performed a piano concert at First Baptist Church of Sherwood on Oct. 17. Several alumni attended the concert: Chuck (’79) and Susan (Voris) Atkinson (’83), Rusty (’85) and Lori (Reeves) Hart (’85), Retha Kilmer (’84), Sarah (Atkinson ’85) and Shari (Deaver) Edwards (’82).
1990s
Kelli (Lambert) Gilbreath (’90) is serving as the Director of Children’s TNT Ministry for New Song Church in Henderson, Nev. She also has established a new youth ministry program for 6th-8th graders. She and her husband, U.S. Air Force Col. Greg Gilbreath, have three children, Nathaniel (15), Kiri (11) and Evan (9). Lt. Col. Joel Humphrey (’91) recently returned from deployment oversees in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. During this deployment, Humphrey served as a Force Management Officer at the Third Army Headquarters at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where he received the Meritorious Service Medal. He previously was deployed to Iraq in 2003. He
returns to Hot Springs, Ark., to his wife, Sharon, and children Kamryn (11) and Aaron (6).
Faculty Update Mortenson named association VP
Dr. Chris Mortenson, assistant professor of history, was elected vice president at the annual meeting of the Arkansas Association of College History Teachers. The organization strives to improve the teaching of history for all levels of instruction.
Lt. Col. Michael Spraggins (’93) took command of the 206th Field Artillery of the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team on June 19. In this new role, he is responsible for ensuring that the 206th’s 400-plus soldiers are trained and ready to support their community, state and nation as needed. Bryan Bolton (’94) moved to Pine Bluff in January to serve as minister of music at First Baptist Church. His wife, Erin (Berry ’94*), is a nurse for Hospice Homecare of Pine Bluff. The Boltons have two children, Kaitlyn (9) and Keith (4).
Sarah (Heard) Renshaw, Michelle WarrenCook Bell, April Shields Maddox, Lori Barnes Jolley, Jennifer Mobley Atchison and Sarah Kellar Cook, all ’95 graduates, and their children met for a three-day reunion at Big Cedar Lodge. John Sowers (’96) has served in full-time ministry for the past 18 years, completing seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and later earning a D.Min. from GordonConwell Seminary. He also served with Rev. Billy Graham as his multi-language director in Los Angeles and New York. Sowers now leads The Mentoring Project ministry and is publishing Fatherless Generation: Redeeming the Story to help engage the church to make mentoring a priority. Cpt. Nathan F. Twigg (’96) completed the Field Artillery Captain’s Career Course at Fort Sill, Okla. He will return to Ft. Benning, Ga., this fall and instruct at Officer Candidate School. Greg Casey (’99) is the offensive coordinator for the varsity football team at Mineola High School in Mineola, Ark.
The Purple Palooza Banquet at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas made it easy for Ouachita alumni, students and friends to sport their colors. Youth camp counselors and student ministry staff include (from left): John York, Melinda Wynn Moran (’94), Beverly York, Kelley Edwards (’09), Elyse Senteney and Trent Gardner (current students) and Kim Senteney. Paul Williams (’94) is the new pastor of First Baptist Church of White Hall, Ark. He and his wife, Missy (Collier ’93), have three children, Mikayla (13), Noah (11) and Hannah (9).
2000s
Corey Colbert (’00) and his wife, Somer, live in Springdale, Ark., where he is an occupational therapist in the home health setting. He received his master’s degree in 2004 from the University of Central Arkansas. The Colberts attend and sing at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills campus in Rogers. They have one son, Gray (4) and are expecting their second child. Doug (’01) and Jessica (Coleman) Connell (’00) live in Istanbul, where he manages a gourmet coffee roasting business. She stays home with their five children: Ethan (8), Baxter (6), Maranatha (4), Silas (2) and Moses (infant).
Long presents research findings
Dr. Chris Long, assistant professor of psychology, recently presented at the 2010 Association for Consumer Research North American Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. Long presented “Brands Are Like Friends: Goals and Interpersonal Motives Influence Attitudes Toward Preferred Brands,” research he co-authored with current Ouachita student Christina Albee and two Ouachita graduates, Philip Gable, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, and Courtney Boerstler, assistant professor of marketing at High Point University.
Sonheim attends “Wise Child” event
Dr. Amy Sonheim, professor of English, was recently invited to attend the University of Philadelphia’s symposium, “The Wise Child: Children’s Literature and Psychoanalysis.” Sonheim was invited to attend based on her related research, “Sendak’s WILD THINGS Get ‘Refanged,’” a psychoanalytic approach to Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and the recent film adaptation by Spike Jonze.
Pruet School faculty publish books
Dr. Danny Hays and Dr. C. Marvin Pate have recently authored books being released by various publishers. Hays, dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies, has written The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament being published by Zondervan. Pate, professor of theology, has written three books: What Does the Future Hold? Exploring Various Views on the End Times, published earlier this year by Baker Books; From Plato to Jesus: What Does Philosophy Have to Do with Theology? released by Kregel Publications; and The Writings of John: A Survey of the Gospel, Epistles and Apocalypse to be published early next year by Zondervan.
Viser presents at parenting event
Dr. Bill Viser, associate professor of Christian ministries, presented at the 12th annual Arkansas Conference for Parent Education and Involvement in Hot Springs. His presentations included “Undressed to Kill: How Internet Pornography Destroys the Individual” and “Social Networking: What You Don’t Know that You Better Find Out.” fall 2010
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President Rex Horne congratulates George Watanabe, Tom Hargis, Rosalind Mouser, Miranda Childs-Bebee and Alyse Eady (not pictured: Jarrett Stephens). photo by Wesley Kluck
Alumni Milestone Award recipients honored H
omecoming 2010 introduced a new tradition with the inauguration of Alumni Milestone Awards sponsored by the Ouachita Alumni office. Recipients from the reunion classes of 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 were recognized during halftime of the Homecoming football game. Several of the honorees also participated in a panel discussion as part of GROW activities on campus. According to Lauren Land, internal director of Ouachita Alumni, “The Ouachita Milestone Award is a new recognition program designed to highlight one alumnus per class reunion year during Homecoming weekend. It is a means of recognizing graduates who have made a difference in their community while also promoting the work and legacy of each individual class. “The award recipients were selected by a panel of alumni and Ouachita staff and faculty and are each individuals who have taken Ouachita’s call to service and leadership seriously throughout their life and careers,” Land added. “We are so proud of each of the six recipients and feel that they are outstanding representatives of the very best Ouachita has to offer.” “The Alumni Milestone Awards recognize the fact that our people make a difference throughout the seasons of life,” noted Ouachita President Rex Horne. “The men and women awarded have been and are great ambassadors for Ouachita as well as individuals impacting the people where they live and serve.” Recipients of the 2010 Alumni Milestone Awards include: George Watanabe (’60) of Honolulu, Hawaii, attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated from Golden Gate Baptist
16 • the ouachita circle
Theological Seminary in 1963. While in seminary, he founded the Cornelia Mission in partnership with Cornelia Avenue Baptist Church in Fresno, Calif., where he later served as pastor. In addition to a number of pastorates in California and Hawaii, he served as a Southern Baptist international missionary to Japan from 1968 until 2000. He and his wife, Amy, have two daughters and three grandchildren. Tom Hargis (’70) entered the U.S. Army as a Finance Office after graduating from Ouachita. In the 1990s, he served in the Army Budget Office in the Pentagon. He later earned his MBA from Marymount University in Arlington, Va., while still on active duty. Hargis retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1995 after serving as a military officer for 25 years. His posts included Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia, Japan, Turkey, South Korea and the Pentagon. He served as a senior financial analyst with a defense contractor for five years prior to assuming his current position in 2000 as Secretary and Controller of the Army & Air Force Mutual Aid Association. Rosalind McClanahan Mouser (’80), a partner in the law firm of Ramsay, Bridgforth, Robinson & Raley in Pine Bluff, is immediate past president of the Arkansas Bar Association. She also has served as president of the Board of Trustees of Southeast Arkansas College, president of the board of the Southeast Arkansas College Foundation, president of the Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Pine Bluff Aviation Commission. Mouser, who graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1984, also has served as a board member of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Foundation.
She and her husband, Kirby, have one son. Dr. Miranda Childs-Bebee (’90) graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in 1994. She returned to Arkadelphia in 1994 and opened a successful dental practice. In 2007, she helped establish Arkansas Mission of Mercy, a free dental clinic for those in need. That year alone, Mission of Mercy served more than 2,000 patients. Childs-Bebee has received numerous awards, both professional and civic, including the American Dental Association’s prestigious Tarson Access to Oral Health Award. As vice president of the Arkansas State Dental Association, she will soon be the first female serving in the top leadership role in the association’s 124-year history. Jarrett Stephens (’00), is a native of Bossier City, La. He graduated from Ouachita with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical studies and psychology. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006, and will receive his doctorate from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in May. Stephens is the teaching pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. He and his wife, Debbie, have two daughters, Riley and Kelsey. Alyse Eady (’10) was crowned Miss Arkansas 2010 this summer with a platform highlighting leadership through Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She served as Miss Teen Arkansas as a junior in high school as well as a regional ambassador for the Boys & Girls Club. In that role, she had the opportunity to address Congress and visit with President George W. Bush. She is a 2010 Ouachita graduate with a double major in mass communications and speech communication.
Jamie Garrett (’00) married Anthony Wade Thornton on Oct. 16. The couple lives in Sherwood.
Rachel Wait (’08) married John Ekenseair on Oct. 30 in Little Rock’s Immanuel Baptist Church. The couple lives in Maumelle, Ark.
Ryan (’00) and Karlyn (Hughes) Hillman (’99) have lived in Almyra, Ark., since 2001. He continues to farm with his brother Jonathan (’99) and father Walter Hillman. She provides speech therapy at Pattillo Center School and is an independent senior director with BeautiControl. They have two sons, Sawyer (3) and Knox (infant).
Emily Kauffman Brumley (’09) married Blake Baldwin on July 10 at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Ark. The couple divides their time between Little Rock and Houston, Texas.
Mark McGowan (’00) and his wife, MySan, left their position in Singapore in April and are now ministering to youth in East Asia.
Samuel Lange (’04) married Veronika Paseka on May 22 in Salzburg, Austria. Philip Gable (’05) married Savannah Noel Evans on Dec. 27, 2008. He received his Ph.D. in psychology in 2010 and is now working as an assistant professor at the University of Alabama.
Allison Winn (’09) married Jake Maxwell (’08) on July 24. The couple resides in Waco, Texas.
2001 graduates Susan Burkhead, Elizabeth (Hoffman) Strickland, Amy Bull, Rachel (Burgess) Han, Laura (Fraser) Andrews and Wendy Porter celebrated their 9th annual OBU Girls’ Weekend in Austin, Texas. Michael (’01) and Kati (Huryta) Lusk (’02*) now live in Nashville, Tenn., where he is the new student minister at Tusculum Hills Baptist Church. They have two daughters, Liliahna and Aleah. Mike Martin (’02) received his MBA from the University of Dallas this summer and is now working as a senior financial analyst for JP Morgan Chase in Irving, Texas. Samuel Brett Williams (’03) wrote the play “The Revival,” which premiered through the Project Y Theatre Company. He received his MFA in playwriting from Rutgers University and currently teaches playwriting, basic composition and expository writing at Rutgers University. Dr. Kristen Teague (’04) recently married Dustin Thompson. The couple lives in Pine Bluff.
Carl and Claire (Bauer) Miller (both ’05) are missionaries in Manila, Philippines, where Carl is teaching Bible classes at Faith Academy. He graduated in May with a Master of Arts degree from Wheaton College. They have two children, Micah (2) and Ian (1). Meredith “Murph” Holder (’06) has been living in Manhattan for the past three years, pursuing a career in musical theatre. She is also employed full-time at Macmillan Publishing as an associate media producer.
Elizabeth Sturm (’09) married Michael Truss (’08) on Aug. 15 in Colleyville, Texas. The couple lives in Fort Worth where she is completing her master’s degree in social work and he is an independent insurance agent. Rance Collins (’10) recently joined the staff of the Arkadelphia Daily Siftings-Herald as a general assignment reporter.
For even more ways to connect with your Ouachita Circle, visit Ouachita’s Alumni Online Community at www.obualumni.org fall 2010
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Calvin Reynolds (’10) married Juliana Braswell (current student) on Oct. 16 in The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock. The couple lives in Little Rock. Adam Wheat (’10) joined the staff of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia as director of children’s ministry. He also is the box office manager for Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts.
Mallory George (’10) married Alec Berry on June 15 in Big Sur, Calif.
Megan Williams (’10) recently married Charlton Kingrey (’08) in Branson, Mo. The couple lives in Branson.
1980s
Carole (Clark) Wright (’88) and her husband, Jimmy, welcomed son Jonathan Clarke on Sept. 4, 2009. He joins siblings Monica (26), Chris (current student), Gracie (3) and Jimmy (1).
1990s
Mitch Bettis (’90) and his wife, Meg, welcomed daughter Ellison Lola Ruth on Oct. 27. She joins siblings Jackson (8) and Addy Grace (3).
Ian Cosh named Ouachita vice president for community and international engagement
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an Cosh, a longtime administrator at Ouachita, has been named vice president for community and international engagement by President Rex Horne. Cosh, a 1987 Ouachita graduate, has served since 1998 as assistant to the president for community development, director of the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family & Community and director of the Daniel & Betty Jo Grant Center for International Education. He previously was director of campus ministries, director of religious activities and associate director of the Center for Christian Ministries. “Ian Cosh has proven himself across more than two decades here at Ouachita,” Dr. Horne said. “He is a strategic thinker and an effective planner. “His management skills are seen in the varied responsibilities through the Elrod Center for Family & Community, the Grant Center for International Education, study abroad and campus ministries,” Horne added. “We are fortunate to have Ian in leadership here at Ouachita.” “It is a great honor to serve at Ouachita with students, faculty and staff who share a common vision for serving others with integrity and passion,” Cosh noted. “Dr. Horne is a leader’s leader and the opportunity to continue to work with him closely on community and international engagement is a great honor and privilege. “I look forward to building on the work that has already been established,” Cosh added. “We have new dreams to dream, new problems to solve and new challenges to overcome.”
18 • the ouachita circle
Cosh, a native of Northern Ireland, grew up in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). He also has lived in South Africa, came to the United States in 1984 to attend Ouachita and became an American citizen in 1999. In addition to earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ouachita in 1987, Cosh holds degrees from the Post Office Engineering College of Harare, Zimbabwe, and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. His community involvement has included service on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including serving on the Arkansas Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism and as chair of the Arkansas Service Commission. He also is a past district governor for Rotary International District 6170 and was named District Rotarian of the Year in 2008 for his work on water projects in Zimbabwe. Cosh is a charter member and former president of the Arkadelphia Rotary Sunrise Club. He also is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and a benefactor of The Rotary Foundation As part of his commitment to global engagement, Cosh has led university students on service projects around the world, including trips to Australia, Kazakhstan, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, the Dominican Republic, Japan and India. He also has engaged students in inner-city service, including work in New Orleans, Houston and San Antonio. Cosh and his wife, Sharon, are members of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia, where he has served as chair of the deacons, college Sunday school teacher and department leader. The Coshes have five adult daughters and four grandchildren.
Toby Adams (’97) and his wife, Megan, welcomed daughter Lilly Rose on Feb. 1.
David (’97) and Becca (Leach ’96) Sanders welcomed son Levi on Oct. 13, 2009. He joins siblings Abigail, Noah, Isaac and Elijah. Jill (Fowler) Bobo (’99) and her husband, Mitchell, welcomed daughter Britann Mitchell on Sept. 20. She joins big sister Addison Blaire (3). Dr. Sarah Beth (Milam) Harrington (’99) and her husband, Brooks (’99), welcomed son Patrick Hayes on Aug. 11. He joins big brother Cole Alexander (3).
Nell Mondy lecturer explores passion for chemistry and art
By Breanne Goodrum, sophomore mass communications major from Fort Smith, Ark.
D Aaron (’98) and Karen (Wood ’99) Black welcomed daughter Emily Reese on Aug. 9. She joins big sister Ruth (2).
Michael (’01) and Kati (Huryta) Lusk (’02*) welcomed daughter Aleah Renee on Aug. 11. She joins big sister Liliahna.
Daniel Robertson (’99) and his wife, Anne, welcomed son Joseph Woodrow on Dec. 10, 2009.
2000s
Jessica (Coleman) Connell (’00) and her husband, Doug (’01), welcomed son Moses Henry on July 12. He joins siblings Ethan (8), Baxter (6), Maranatha (4) and Silas (2). Ryan (’00) and Karlyn (Hughes) Hillman (’99) welcomed son Knox Denton on June 18. He joins big brother Sawyer (3). Mauria ( Jackson) Kemper (’01) and her husband, Nathan, welcomed daughter Grace Ellen on May 13.
Reagan, daughter of Jenny (Logan) Crow (’02), takes time to read the latest issue of The Ouachita Circle. Brian (’03) and Kristen (Selby) Spigner (’03) welcomed son Slayton Hall on Aug. 16. Chris (’04) and Amber (Reineck) Satterwhite (’06) welcomed daughter Leah Faith on Sept. 3.
Kristy (Newton) Freyaldenhoven (’05) and her husband, Gabe, welcomed son Logan Carter on Aug. 23. He joins big sister Madison Grace (2).
What’s new? Submit your class notes, including wedding, baby and alumni reunion photos, by logging on to the Ouachita Online Community at
www.obualumni.org or by contacting Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu or (870) 245-5506.
r. Mary Virginia Orna, professor of chemistry at the College of New Rochelle in New York and editor-at-large of Chemical Heritage magazine, was the featured speaker for this fall’s Nell Mondy Lecture. She presented a Sept. 27 lecture titled “Five Thousand Years of Chemistry: A Look at the Secrets of Ancient and Medieval Artists.” Dr. Joe Jeffers, dean of the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences, described Orna as a “highly regarded educator and colleague.” She spent three days on the Ouachita campus, delivering lectures to various classes. Orna’s featured lecture analyzed art using chemistry, specifically citing treasures in Israel, art pigment and manufacture in the Middle Ages and examples of de-authentication. “Chemistry is associated with everything in life,” she said. “It can teach you about the beauty in your life and what it takes to make it beautiful.” Orna encouraged all students to explore what they love and to pursue a passion for learning. A specialist in the field of color and archaeological chemistry, Orna has presented lectures to various universities but noted, “Ouachita is my favorite place to come because of its welcoming and warm environment and student reception.” Orna is currently serving as president of ChemSource, Inc., an effort in chemistry teacher preparation and enhancement funded by the National Science Foundation. She has been a Fulbright Fellow and was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2010. She received her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Fordham University and her undergraduate degree at Chestnut Hill College. She has studied internationally in such settings as the Middle East and Italy. “Orna has a lot of accomplishments and is a perfect example of what students should strive to be,” Jeffers said. “She has a strong work ethic and good character and I’m honored to call her my friend.” The Nell Mondy Lecture Series Endowment was established by the late Ouachita alumna Dr. Nell Mondy, who served as a professor of nutritional science, food science and toxicology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. The endowment, established at Ouachita in 1991, primarily brings in lecturers focusing on chemistry, food science and nutrition to present their findings to students interested in expanding their knowledge in those areas. fall 2010
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Ouachita hosts British writer in Birkett Williams lecture exploring art and music
by Brooke Zimny, OBU Assistant Director of Communications
O
uachita hosted Rick Poynor, a renowned British writer on design, media and visual culture, as part of its Birkett Williams lecture series Sept. 16. Poynor’s illustrated lecture, “All Art Aspires to the Condition of Music (or vice versa),” recalled 19th century art critic Walter Pater’s assertion that “all art constantly aspires to the condition of music,” addressing a broader artistic subject than his usual focus of graphic design. “I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity of having a broader audience … to broaden things out a bit,” Poynor began. “I’ve always been very interested in this relationship between contemporary music – rock music in particular – and the visual arts.” Early in Poynor’s career, he provided commentary for More Dark than Shark, a collaborative book by Brian Eno and Russell Mills. The book featured lyrics to Eno’s songs accompanied by artwork created by Mills that was inspired by those lyrics, in addition to explanatory notes from the two artists. His lecture returned to this subject, using Eno and Mills as well as David Byrne as examples of artists who successfully explore and combine visual art and music. “I think it’s a really rich area, and I hope it will be something that will be meaningful to many of you in the audience, too,” Poynor said. Using several visual examples from the three artists’ bodies of work as well as from other relevant artists, Poynor illustrated the increasingly multisensory quality of art as the field evolves. “It seems to me that in the future of art and music … extraordinary new public artworks are possible, which for me, at least, are almost transformational in their power,” he said. With Byrne, Eno and Mills as models, Poynor encouraged the art students in attendance, saying, “These people are able to creatively renew themselves over and over again and continue to have interesting ideas and to develop these bodies of work. So, even though you’re young and starting out, I hope it stands as a kind of example – a model – that it is possible to have a very long career in the arts and to be an experimentalist, to be innovative and keep coming up with new ideas decade after decade. “We have conditions -- social conditions, economic conditions – where a lot of people … are free to carry out many different kinds of experiments,” Poynor continued. “A whole new cultural potential is opening up, so it’s a wildly exciting field to be in.”
20 • the ouachita circle
1920s
Marie (Summers) Watts (’27) of Pine Bluff passed away on July 16. She is survived by daughter Mary (Todd) Young.
1930s
Eloise (Abernathy) Hamilton (’33*) of Little Rock passed away on Oct. 15. She is survived by daughter Julie Ann Warmouth, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Dr. David Earl Browning (’37) of Auburn, Ala., passed away on March 3, 2009. He is survived by his wife, LaMena, and two sons. Wilbur C. West (’37*) passed away on Oct. 20. He is survived by daughters Evelyn West Menz, Ruth West McNulty and June West Lambi. photo by Nicole McPhate
Poynor, also an editor, critic and curator, was the founding editor of Eye magazine in London as well as the “Design Observer,” a leading design weblog. He has also been a columnist for Print magazine in New York and has contributed chapters and essays to many books on art and design. His writing has appeared in such international publications as I.D., Metropolis, Harvard Design Magazine, Blueprint, Icon and The Guardian. He has written 14 books including No More Rules: Graphic Design and Postmodernism and Travels in Visual Culture and co-organized “First Things First 2000,” a manifesto urging responsibility in design. Poynor was also recently featured in the documentary film Helvetica, which was released internationally to wide acclaim. Poynor was hosted by Ouachita’s Department of Visual Arts. “It is quite an honor to have someone of his stature in our midst to enlighten us and to bring the outside world to our community,” said Dr. Raouf Halaby, OBU professor of visual arts and English. Ouachita’s Birkett Williams lecture series was established in 1977 through a gift from the late Birkett L. Williams, a 1910 Ouachita graduate. His generous endowment established the lectures as an opportunity to extend the concepts of a liberal arts education beyond the classroom by bringing outstanding scholars and public figures to Ouachita’s campus.
1940s
Ellen (McKee) McMurray (’45) of Little Rock passed away on July 26. She is survived by children Sarah McMurray, Martin McMurray and Lowell McMurray and four grandchildren. Mary Jane (Ryan) Davidson (’48) of North Little Rock passed away on Sept. 18. She is survived by daughter Ayn Robertson, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mary Sue (Phillips) Harris (’48*) of North Little Rock passed away on April 26. She is survived by sons John Harris and Fred Harris, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Robert Ellen (’49) of Texarkana, Texas, passed away on July 24. He is survived by his wife, June McCorkle Ellen, children Don Ellen and Johnny Ellen and stepdaughter Julie Williams, 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. James Reed (’49) of Huntsville, Ala., passed away on June 30. He is survived by children David Reed and James Reed and five grandchildren.
1950s
Ruth (Holland) Carswell (’54) of Little Rock passed away on Aug. 14. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Sidney Carswell, children David Carswell (’79), Carla (Carswell) Beard (’80), Marcia Carswell (’82) and Kevin Carswell (’83), nine grandchildren and one greatgranddaughter. Lt. Col. Eugene Merritt (’56) of Little Rock passed away on Aug. 5. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Patricia Merritt, children Brenda Livingston, Melanne Anthony, Robert Merritt, Steve Merritt and Farris Merritt, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
1960s
Norman Scott (’61) of Little Rock passed away on Aug. 24. He is survived by his wife, Helen (Reed) Scott (’60), children Angela (Scott) Johnson (’84) and Cindy Scott-Huisman and four grandchildren. Virginia B. Cantrell (’63) of Searcy, Ark., passed away on Nov. 1. She is survived by daughter Bobbi Coleman and three grandchildren. Sonja (Dalrymple) Greer (’63) of Fort Smith, Ark., passed away on Nov. 11. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, James Greer, daughter Jenifer Alimena and two grandchildren.
Wallace W. Scott (’57) of Fort Worth, Texas, passed away on Nov. 6, 2009. He is survived by daughter Frances Lee (Scott) Smith (’69) and three grandchildren.
Ruth Stroope (’68) of Galveston, Texas, passed away on Aug. 4. She is survived by children Stephen Stroope, Earl Stroope and Toby Smith and 10 grandchildren.
Rev. Joe Dale Amis (’58) of Bryant, Ark., passed away on April 16. He is survived by his wife, Devona (Meeks) Amis (’61*).
Louis Bryant (’69) of Carthage, Ark., passed away on Aug. 13. His is survived by his wife, Janice, children Cindy Burnett and Jennifer Kratz and three grandchildren.
Ken Hilton (’58) of Houston, Texas, passed away in July. He is survived by his wife, Rogna (Peterson ’59), children Robbie, Kerry and Kenny and six grandchildren. David M. Stevens (’58) of Jacksonville, Fla., passed away on Aug. 25. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Hinson) Stevens (’56*), sons Michael and Rodney, four grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Maj. Gen. Howard Massey (’59) passed away on July 28, 2009. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Audrey Massey, children Melanie Sherrow, Mikki Howard, Merri Massey and Michael Massey and 10 grandchildren. William “Buddy” Warmouth (’59) of Little Rock passed away on Aug. 30. He is survived by his wife, Julie Anne Warmouth, daughters Wendy Brandon and Julie Loveless and son Bryan Warmouth.
1970s
Michael Fisher (’71) of Arkadelphia passed away on July 17. He is survived by his wife of more than 20 years, Diana Fisher, children William Fisher and Robert Fisher, stepdaughter Lorrie Hutcheson and two grandchildren. Wanda Faye (Williams) Jones (’71, MSE ’75) passed away on Sept. 8. She is survived by her husband, Robert Jones. Carol Ann (Brandon) Raybon (’71) of Fayetteville, Ark., passed away on Nov. 8. She is survived by her husband, Mike Raybon (’70), son Blake Raybon and one grandson. Nancy Ann (Rice) Lawson (MSE ’74) of Arkadelphia passed away on July 30. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Marvin Lawson (former faculty), children Marvin Lawson (’85) and Alan Lawson (’87) and three grandchildren.
1980s
Danna (Pananganan) Wheeler (’82) of Brandon, Fla., passed away on Nov. 19, 2009. She is survived by her husband, Marquis Wheeler. Gus Brady (’83*) of Little Rock passed away on Oct. 31. He is survived by children Barry Brady, Bart Brady, Beth Miller, Brittany McClure and Barrett Dudley. Mark E. Yarbrough (’84*) of Buckeye, Ariz., passed away on Aug. 31.
1990s
Lanelle Ayres (’90) of Little Rock passed away on Sept. 7.
2000s
Emily Coulter (’04*) of Texarkana, Texas, passed away on Sept. 5.
Faculty, Staff & Friends Mary Matlock Conner Brooks of Arkadelphia passed away on Sept. 30.
Elizabeth Joiner Pruet of El Dorado, Ark., passed away on Sept. 2. She was a former member of the Ouachita Board of Trustees. The Chesley and Elizabeth Pruet School of Christian Studies is named in honor of Pruet and her late husband. She is survived by children Paula James and Ann Calhoon, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Dr. Randolph Quick of Arkadelphia passed away on Aug. 9. Dr. Quick was Professor Emeritus of Sociology. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jane Quick, children Connie Quick and Carol (Quick) Land and two grandchildren.
Daniel Alley (’75) of Little Rock passed away on Oct. 4. Carrol “Mac” McClellan (’77) of Hope, Ark., passed away in September. He is survived by his wife, Patty Riddle McClellan, and mother Neva. fall 2010
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Dr. Terry Carter,
Associate Dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies & W.O. Vaught Professor of Christian Ministries
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r. Terry Carter was recognized as Ouachita’s Most Inspirational Professor at this year’s Academic Awards Banquet. This award holds much prestige among the Ouachita faculty because it is chosen by the student body. Carter also received the recognition in 1999. The 2010-2011 academic year marks Carter’s 20th anniversary at Ouachita. He serves as the associate dean for the Pruet School of Christian Studies and is also chair of the Christian Ministries and Missions Department. Carter received his undergraduate degree in Bible from Howard Payne University and went on to earn his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He led campus ministry for five years before moving to Wiesbaden, Germany, to serve as pastor of International Baptist Church. Explaining how he got to Ouachita, Carter said his parents are originally from and later retired in Arkadelphia. While on a visit from Germany, Carter sat down with Ouachita’s chair of the religion department in the very office he now occupies to discuss future teaching opportunities. Two years later, the Carters moved back to the States and he took a position in the religion department. His current class load includes Homiletics, Bible Survey and History of Christianity. In his homiletics class, Carter hears and critiques more than 20 sermons each semester. “I’ve listened to more sermons in 20 years than any person deserves to!” he says with a laugh. When not in the classroom, Carter takes his ministry back to the pulpit through frequent interim pastorates, serving nearly 20 churches since moving to Arkadelphia. Describing the uniqueness of professor-student relationships, Carter said, “Ouachita is a campus where every student can find a professor who cares about them.” He quickly gets to know each student in his class by name and teaches interactively to give students the opportunity to speak up, ask questions or share observations. He leaves his office door wide open and welcomes any student to pop in with a question or a quick hello. “Dr. Carter’s is my first class in the morning, but I’m always wide awake, on the edge of my seat listening,” notes freshman Hannah Bridges. “I’ve learned so much about the Bible and about God from his class – it’s like he makes all the bits and pieces I’ve learned over the years in Sunday School fit together and finally make sense.” Carter and his wife, Kathy, have one daughter, Tilly, and a newborn grandson.
FORE Ouachita attracts 140 golfers, aids scholarships Ouachita welcomed 140 golfers to “FORE Ouachita 2010” on Oct. 18 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. Former Tiger basketball player Kevin Crass (’81) served as the chairman of FORE Ouachita 2010. The tournament has raised more than $100,000 for athletic scholarships at Ouachita since beginning in 2009. Winners of the Championship flight in the morning round were the VCC team of Sam Alley, Roy Gutierrez, Joey Nichols and John Reap. The Crews and Associates team of Andy Edwards (’83), Ken Shaddox (’83), Bob White (’81) and Brian Gunnels won the afternoon round and had the lowest round of the day with a 13-under par 59. Players had the chance to win a 2011 Toyota Camry courtesy of Teague Motors in El Dorado (Jeff Teague, ’78); a trip for two to Hawaii courtesy of Tropical Smoothie on Highway 10 in Little Rock (Jordan Bone, ’05); and $25,000 cash courtesy of The ASA Group (Jiggs Ramsey, ’67) and Southern Bancorp. Each golfer received a Ouachita Tiger golf shirt compliments of Print Mania in Arkadelphia and a pair of Ouachita sunglasses provided by Jenkins Enterprises in North Little Rock. Plans are under way for “FORE Ouachita Dallas/Fort Worth” to be held in the spring of 2011 and for the third annual “FORE Ouachita Central Arkansas” to be held in Little Rock in October of 2011 in conjunction with Ouachita’s 125th anniversary celebration.
22 • the ouachita circle
Lori Motl,
Director of Admissions Counseling
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photos by Callie Stephens
ori (Abbott) Motl (’93) hit the ground running. She took the helm of the Admissions Counseling team in June of 2009 and in one year helped recruit the largest freshman class since the early 1990s. Her team also hosted one of the most significant recruitment events in history during Homecoming, GROW (Getting Ready for Ouachita’s World) with nearly 400 high school juniors and seniors attending. Just over one year into the job, Motl says, “I love being on campus and feeling like I’m really making a difference. I love the staff that I work with and the fact that every day is different. I love that I’m always busy.” Before coming to Ouachita, Motl was a technical writer for Nortel for more than 10 years. While she thrived in the corporate environment, she knew that working at Ouachita would be a great fit for her family and would provide an outlet for both her creativity and her business-minded work ethic. During the fall travel season, Motl’s team of seven admissions counselors covers more than 100 college fairs throughout the South. Over 1,000 prospective students have applied to date, which keeps the admissions team on their toes as they work to build personal relationships with each student. Throughout the year, the team seeks to bring every prospective student to campus for a tour, face-to-face meetings with a professor and often an athletic event so that they can experience a slice of student life at Ouachita. In addition to traditional recruitment tools, the admissions counseling team relies heavily on social media and interactive websites such as CollegeWeekLive and live video chats to reach thousands of prospective students at once. Motl explains that it’s vital to stay relevant among students who are tech-savvy and expect to experience cutting-edge technology when researching college options. Explaining why the current freshman class is so large, Motl cited several reasons. She said the new residence halls had a major impact while the new Arkansas Challenge scholarship cemented many students’ ability to attend Ouachita. The addition of two new sports – men’s wrestling and women’s golf – also attracted several new students. New majors in the Pruet School of Christian Studies (Church Media/Production Arts and Christian Media/Communications) were also draws for some students. Overall, she said, “A lot of key factors blended together to ensure a really good year.” Motl is married to Dr. Casey Motl, assistant professor of history at Ouachita. They have three children: Ryan (10), Sydney (8) and Josh (6).
Tiger Network Leadership Award
Do you know an incoming freshman who is a leader in their school, church and community? Nominate them for the prestigious Tiger Network Leadership Award, an alumni-driven scholarship and leadership program for 35 select freshmen students. Applications are due by January 15 and must be accompanied by a recommendation from a Ouachita graduate or former student. For more information, contact Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu or call (870) 245-5111. photo by Wesley Kluck fall 2010
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Ouachita celebrates cherished traditions T
raditions are as old as the desire of some people to break away from them. There are traditions in families, academics, athletics, religion and nations. Even those who seek to be non-traditional usually form some traditions, too. A tradition is something handed down from person to person or generation to generation. It may be passed along by spoken instead of written words. Moses led the children of Israel to remember, recite and instruct their children concerning God’s mighty acts and commands. These beliefs could be communicated through stories, songs or actions.
Tiger Tunes is more than 30 years old. The four highenergy performances raise tens of thousands of dollars for scholarships while showcasing the energy and talent of our students. Becky and I meet old and new friends each year who return to campus for this show held during Homecoming week.
“It is assuring to return to a place, ... to remember an event or walk a piece of ground with your memories and gratitude.”
Traditions helps form a continuum between people and generations. Although I have an interest in cars, I am no authority when it comes to NASCAR. I do know, however, that the race will be capped off with a victory lap. It is a tradition in this sport. Ouachita has her own customs. We share certain traditions with other universities. Most observe Homecoming at some time in the year. Recently, we experienced a grand Homecoming weekend. There were several highlights that illustrate our love of the familiar. We celebrated the restoration of our Tiger. For 75 years, people have gathered on the same spot of ground to visit one another and the Tiger. The Tiger has been the focus of many events over the years, some known and others kept secret! The Tiger has been painted for protection and to cover red paint. Our Tiger has survived, but has shown her age since Mr. B.F. Worley carved it those many years ago.
Some customs and traditions are developed intentionally while others are more spontaneous. The new, yet old, “Boom-a-Lacka” cheer at sporting events was rediscovered a few years ago. The quiet, yet very meaningful act of placing flowers on the grave of our first president and first lady, Dr. and Mrs. Conger, is respectful and right. As president of Ouachita, I often think of those who have served before me. They walked these same grounds, shared the same hopes, faced challenges and were humbled by the privilege of serving here. I am blessed by three special friends – former presidents Grant, Elrod and Westmoreland – who preceded me and continue at this time in their lives to have a part in Ouachita’s glorious story. Perhaps traditions above everything else bring us comfort. It is assuring to return to a place, to recite a poem, to remember an event or walk a piece of ground with your memories and gratitude. Come home to Ouachita sometime soon. The Tiger is still here along with some very special people and traditions.
It is interesting that the move to restore the Tiger started with our Gold Tigers, those who graduated 50 or more years ago. When the drive to raise funds for the Tiger was inaugurated, we found that young and old alumni and friends gave generously. All have their memories and traditions about the Tiger.
photo by Callie Stephens
24 • the ouachita circle
Ouachita Baptist University campus watercolor print Order your print today! Ouachita Alumni has commissioned an original campus watercolor by renowned artist Benjamin Knox who specializes in collegiate artwork (www.benjaminknox.com). Featuring such historic landmarks as Berry Chapel, Cone-Bottoms Hall and the Ouachita Tiger, the painting is the first of its kind and will be a treasured keepsake for Ouachita alumni, parents and friends. Unframed prints, which are ideal for framing and display in home or office settings, are available for $50 each. Additionally, 125 signed and numbered limited-edition unframed prints, including lines from the alma mater, are available for $125 each. Prints can be ordered online at www.obualumni.org. Prints ordered before Dec. 15 will be shipped in time for Christmas. Prints also can be framed alongside a Ouachita diploma, given as a wedding gift (especially for couples married in Berry Chapel), framed above a fireplace mantel and more! For more information, contact Lauren Land at (870) 245-5111 or e-mail landl@obu.edu.
Proceeds from the sale of the prints will go toward the new “Training Up Tigers” legacy program, a special project of the Ouachita Alumni team that serves as an outreach to the children of Ouachita graduates and former students.
OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITTLE ROCK, AR PERMIT NO. 211
ALUMNI OFFICE
410 Ouachita Street • Box 3762 Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71998-0001
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4 YEARS IN A ROW Ouachita Baptist University named
#1 Regional College in the South by U.S. News & World Report
1.800.DIAL.OBU
www.obu.edu
Also ranked nationally among “America’s Best Colleges” by Forbes magazine