ACU Today Spring-Summer 2013

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Horizons e New Cat in Town / Hello, Division I Cmdr. David Bynum and the Alumni Award Winners Hearing the Call: WorldWide Witness Just eir Type: Successful Young Graphic Designers Chaplain Robert Randolph Ministers to MIT Down to the River to Pray: Baptistry Mural Collections 2013 Homecoming Preview e Bookcase Hilltop View Academic News Campus News Wildcat Sports Your Gifts at Work EXperiences Second Glance

Massive limestone blocks etched with words from scripture form the foundation of the Jacob’s Dream sculpture site on the east side of campus. (Photograph by Jeremy Enlow)

OUR PROMISE

ACU is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world

ACU Today is published twice a year by the Office of University Marketing at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.

Staff Editor and Graphic Designer: Ron Hadfield (’79) Associate Editor: Katie (Noah ’06) Gibson Sports Editor: Lance Fleming (’92) Contributing Writers This Issue: Paul A. Anthony (’04), Katie (Noah ’06) Gibson, Chris Macaluso, Robin (Ward ’82) Saylor, Tamara (Kull ’77) Thompson Contributing Photographers This Issue: Mark Anderson, Steve Butman, Jerry Cabluck, Lindsey (Hoskins ’03) Cotton, Jeremy Enlow, Allen Gillespie, Daniel Gomez (’12), Kelsey Evans (’09), Gerald Ewing, Cassie Feerer, Jason Jones, Mandy Lambright (’14), David Leeson (’78), Kim Leeson, Carlos Macias (’05), Mark Matson, Clark Potts (’53), Gary Rhodes (’07), Scott Suchman, Britni (Golden ’11) Tatum, Riley Thannum (’16), Paul White (’68) Contributing Graphic Designers / Illustrators This Issue: Greg Golden (’87), Holly Harrell, Jack Maxwell (’78), Mallory Ming (’14), Todd Mullins, Amy Ozment, Jeff Rogers (’02) Proofreaders: Vicki Britten, Amber (Gilbert ’99) Bunton, Rendi (Young ’83) Hahn, Scott Kilmer (’01), Robin (Ward ’82) Saylor, Bettye (McKinzie ’48) Shipp

ADVISORY COMMIT T EE Administration: Suzanne Allmon (’79), Dr. Allison Garrett, Dr. Gary D. McCaleb (’64), Dr. Robert Rhodes Advancement: Phil Boone (’83), Billie Currey (’70), Paul A. Anthony (’04) Alumni Relations: Craig Fisher (’92), Jama (Fry ’97) Cadle, Samantha (Bickett ’01) Adkins Alumni Association: Randy Pittenger (’80) Marketing: Jason Groves (’00), Grant Rampy (’87) Ex-officio: Dr. Phil Schubert (’91)

corre s pon denc e ACU Today : hadfieldr@acu.edu ACU Alumni Association: alumni@acu.edu Record Changes: ACU Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132, 325-674-2620

ON THE WE B Abilene Christian University: acu.edu ACU Today Blog: acu.edu/acutoday Address changes: acu.edu/alumni /whatsnew/update.html ACU Advancement Office (Exceptional Fund, Gift Records): acu.edu/giveonline ACU Alumni Web Site: acu.edu/alumni Find Us on Facebook: facebook.com /abilenechristian facebook.com /ACUsports Follow Us on Twitter: twitter.com /ACUedu twitter.com /ACUsports Join our Google+ circle: gplus.to/abilenechristian

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xcitement is building for this fall, when our intercollegiate athletics program begins competition in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference. As our cover story shows, a new graphic identity

for the Wildcats has the campus buzzing, as does news of some of the exciting competition we’ll see in Abilene (Texas Tech University in volleyball) and on the road (football games in most major Texas markets) during the 2012-13 school year.

Division I affiliation also will raise our academic profile, with annual NCAA accountability measurements designed to increase retention and graduation rates, and help us attract even more high-ability student-athletes to campus.

Whether students devote their out-of-classroom time to athletics, fine arts, debate, journalism, community service or hundreds of other extracurricular opportunities, we will continue to assure them of our dedication to helping them connect their career with their calling.

God intersects the lives of students during their college years, sometimes profoundly. He did yours, as well as mine. And when He does, I believe Christian universities are the ideal place for students to hear His call, surrounded by supportive friends and selfless mentors.

In The Christian College: A History of Protestant Higher Education in America, William C. Ringenberg says a college is, at the core, a company of seekers of the truth. He says the Christian college experience is “an especially focused period of truth-seeking, usually during the formative years, when the company of the committed develop a lifelong practice of continual seeking and of being transformed by the truth that they find.”

I see clear evidence of that in several stories in this issue: • Our annual alumni awards recognizing graduates such as Cmdr. David Bynum (’84) and others who take to heart the university’s mission, using their God-given talents as servant-leaders around the world (pages 22-30); • The innovative WorldWide Witness program, dedicated to helping students of all majors experience short-term vocational missions and learn how to incorporate a heart for ministry in their careers (pages 31-35); • Creative young design graduates whose expertise and preparation help them rise to the top of their profession in a short period of time (pages 36-43); • Dr. Robert Randolph (’62), a respected Church of Christ leader as well as the first coordinating chaplain of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who uses his wisdom, experience and considerable influence to affect faith development in the lives of MIT students (pages 44-45); and • Theology teacher Randy Harris and the inspiring counter-cultural commitment he and the young men of Tau Chi Alpha – “Toughest Christians Alive” – have made to God and to each other (page 80);

ON THE COVER The first new Wildcat logo in 16 years will be featured on football helmets and other uniforms of ACU athletics teams as they prepare to begin play in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference.

(Photograph by Jeremy Enlow)

I’m especially encouraged by the stories behind some of the 26 new scholarship endowments recently created (see page 65), most honoring beloved friends and family members. It’s humbling to see such thoughtful philanthropy, and to know it will create life-changing opportunities for current and future ACU students.

Whether you are “paying it forward” in gratitude for the difference someone else’s generosity made in your education, or simply honoring God with a heartfelt gift on our behalf – thank you. There is no better place in the world than Abilene Christian for a student to pair a calling with a career. We exist to help them make that connection, and we deeply appreciate the ways in which you empower us. 䊱

DR. PHIL SCHUBERT (’91), President The mission of ACU is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

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HORIZONS Mingle and Jingle More than 2,500 people gathered Dec. 1 on the front lawn of the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and sing Christmas carols with country music recording artist Aaron Watson (’00) during Mingle and Jingle, the first outdoor family-style salute to the holidays at ACU. The 2013 event has been scheduled for Dec. 2.

PAUL WHITE

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Aaron Watson invited children on stage with him to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” during his performance.

PAUL WHITE GARY RHODES

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JEREMY ENLOW

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The Ascension The latest addition to the Lunsford Foundation Trail is a bronze sculpture depicting Christ ascending into heaven, installed Dec. 7, 2012, to complete a trailhead near Sewell Theatre and the Hardin Administration Building.

“We want The Ascension to tell the ‘why’ story of a Christian’s salvation, to tell God’s plan for us,” said family spokesman Holt Lunsford (’85) of Dallas. “Jesus loves us so much, He died on a cross and redeemed us and rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. Our faith means nothing without a risen Lord.” See story on page 60.

JEREMY ENLOW

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HORIZONS

MANDY LAMBRIGHT

Angels in Their Outfield ACU opened the 2013 baseball season Feb. 1-4 by playing four games in Houston’s Minute Maid Park during the Astros in Action Division II Invitational series. Before head coach Britt Bonneau’s team played its night game Feb. 2, players attended a pregame party with more than 350 alumni and parents. But for 20 kids from neighborhoods around Impact Church of Christ, the most memorable moments of the long weekend may have been a whiffle ball game with the Wildcats, who volunteered their Saturday morning to make some young new friends – and fans.

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Grant Boone (’91), alumni relations officer and the radio voice of Wildcat sports, leads a prayer following the baseball team’s whiffle ball game with Houston youngsters.

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HORIZONS

Playing for Rex

JEREMY ENLOW

Wildcat football players wore red wristbands on their ankles in the final game of the season in San Antonio against University of the Incarnate Word. When players tired and looked down, head coach Ken Collums wanted them to be reminded to fight harder, as 10-year-old Rex Fleming was doing in the last days of his life. ACU won, 24-12, and Rex, the son of Lance (’92) and Jill Fleming, died 15 days later following a valiant struggle with brain cancer. See story on pages 72-73 about how Wildcat teams and fans rallied around the Flemings.

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ACU quarterback Mitchell Gale (15) was one of the Wildcats who befriended Rex.

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ACU Today

By Ron Hadf ield

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ith a stirring video, light show, floor-shaking music and several thousand students cheering, the first new athletics graphic identity in 16 years for Abilene Christian University was successfully launched Feb. 15 in Moody Coliseum.

Daniel Gomez

But what should a That’s three years longer 21st-century Wildcat than ACU students had to look like? wait before the university ACU’s first semblance of decided on a mascot name a recognized athletics logo in 1919. From its founding was actually the idea of in 1906, teams competed forward-thinking head without one until a social track and field coach club won a fundraising Oliver Jackson (’42). In contest to buy land for 1958 – thanks to sophomore a place for baseball and Bobby Morrow’s three gold football teams to play, and medals in the Melbourne with the victory, earned Olympics two years earlier naming rights.

Shalaina Lakey (track and field) and Jesse Harper (football) were – he believed his team Wildcats beat out two of the student-athletes who helped with the logo reveal Feb.15 in deserved a memorable Antelopes in the club’s Moody Coliseum. symbol to wear while name-that-mascot derby, competing in the nation’s top meets. Jackson teamed and before long, Wildcat Park was built near North First with art professor Norman Whiteside (’47) to create a Street, Wildcat Gym was constructed, Wildcat Band five-point shield with the acronym ACU inside. With a (forerunner of the Big Purple) was playing to rave reviews few exceptions, the mark was largely used by track and and, well, the beat went on. field and cross country teams for the next 40-plus years, A Felis silvestris (wildcat) is native to Asia, and adapted for a few seasons by men’s head basketball Africa and Europe. In North America, however, a coach Dee Nutt (’50) for his team’s travel blazers. wildcat is a common name representing the lynx But no widespread Wildcat was in sight.

(Lynx canadensis) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus), among Several Wildcat illustrations appeared on uniforms others. This identity crisis has never held ACU’s Wildcat and on the court at Bennett Gym and Moody Coliseum teams back, considering they’ve won the fourth most through the decades, none especially memorable nor NCAA national team championships in history, behind easily transferable to other uses. In 1997, alumnus only UCLA, Stanford and USC. Rubén Santiago (’80) helped ACU create its first set of Sports marketing is so prevalent, it seems it has professionally designed athletics marks for all teams to been around forever. Actually, most college football use, including the “interlocking ACU” that is part of the teams didn’t put a logo on their helmets until the 1960s university’s academic logo today. (and some, like the Alabama Crimson Tide, still don’t).

The marketing of intercollegiate athletics has ACU didn’t deploy a logo on a helmet until 1965, and a become big business in the past two decades. Today, Wildcat didn’t appear on one until 1968.

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a well-designed family of logos can go a long way toward building support among donors and other fans, attracting potential student-athletes, selling merchandise, garnering media attention, and achieving name recognition.

Because of its size, ACU does not receive a large slice of the $4.6 billion licensed sports merchandising pie each year. But it has tens of thousands of alumni and a fan base in more than 100 countries to inspire, and a winning tradition that makes it the envy of many smaller colleges and universities.

And while not related to the university’s move this fall to NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference, officials in athletics and University Marketing believed 2013 to be a great time to shift ACU’s sports marketing into higher gear.

The strategic planning and design process for a new athletics identity started a year before ACU officials knew the Wildcats would be changing leagues and national affiliations. But discussions with potential design partners actually began five years ago, with award-winning Ohio company Rickabaugh Graphics eventually chosen to develop a new Wildcat and related marks for Abilene Christian.

“Regardless of our NCAA affiliation, we wanted a fresh start with our logo, knowing it would inject new enthusiasm into athletics at ACU,” said director of athletics Jared Mosley (’00).

Rickabaugh Graphics made its mark on the collegiate sports branding landscape in the early 1990s when it put a new face on The Ohio State University. The bold look they created for the nearby university – which enrolls more than 63,000 students each year – helped unify the athletics identity of the Buckeyes, who then marched to the top of collegiate merchandising revenue leaders.

Since then, Rickabaugh has created or updated athletics brands for more than 70 universities, most of them in NCAA Division I, including Baylor, Texas, Connecticut, Vanderbilt, Marquette, North Carolina State, Seton Hall and Central Florida.

The same logo design principles that work for the largest schools also spell success for smaller ones: doing market research, listening to stakeholders, building consensus, paying attention to detail, and instilling creative energy to make an institution’s brand come to life in a way that energizes alumni and fans.

In Abilene, more than 100 student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff,

Artist’s rendering of the new graphics to be applied this summer to the floor of Moody Coliseum

“Regardless of our NCAA affiliation, we wanted a fresh start with our logo, knowing it would inject new enthusiasm into athletics at ACU.” – JARED MOSLEY

alumni, donors and other fans were part of focus groups that reviewed early designs, then helped refine them. Eight different Wildcats were developed along the way, with one chosen to represent ACU’s 16 intercollegiate athletics teams.

The project also resulted in the creation of two custom fonts and number sets to use on uniforms and marketing materials, and an Athletics Graphics Standards guide.

The new Wildcat is part of a package of artwork including a primary logo, secondary marks and sport-specific marks.

ACU’s two online merchants – campusstore.acu.edu and acuwildcatgear.com – stocked up with new products for the logo unveiling, and sales have been brisk there and in The Campus Store in McGlothlin Campus Center.

The Office of Creative Services also used the new graphics to design free screen-savers for download from facebook.com/abilenechristian to use on mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

In January, another award-winning firm, Old Hat Creative of Norman, Okla., was asked to produce a short video to celebrate ACU’s athletics heritage and introduce the new graphic identity, which was still being finalized. The fun-loving team at Old Hat produces similar high-energy video products used in Game Day promotions at Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas Christian, Duke, Florida State and a virtual who’s who of other major athletics programs.

In February, ACU signed a three-year contract with Adidas to supply all its teams with game, practice, travel, sideline and coaching gear, starting this fall. So new logos on their innovative clothing will be on display when student-athletes next compete in 2012-13.

The timing was good for Moody Coliseum, too. Its wood court was scheduled for refurbishing this summer, so the new Wildcat-related branding for ACU and the Southland Conference will be painted on the floor in June, and be ready for Division I volleyball matches in August.

Ten other NCAA Division I colleges and universities also have Wildcats as an athletics mascot: Arizona, Bethune-Cookman, California State-Chico, Davidson, Kansas State, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Northwestern, Villanova and Weber State.

Regardless of how ACU teams fare against some or all of them on the scoreboard, we’re convinced this new Wildcat beats them all. 

To see all of the new athletics logos and watch the video revealing the new Wildcat, visit

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By Lance Fleming

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any ACU fans can probably make the familiar drives to San Angelo, Commerce, Canyon and Stephenville in their sleep. Forty years of travel to watch the Wildcats play in the Lone Star Conference will do that to you.

But it’s a new day.

As of July 1, the Wildcats will move to NCAA Division I affiliation and return to the Southland Conference, the league Abilene Christian helped found more than 50 years ago. Among other changes, fans will need to reset their GPS units for such places as Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Thibodeaux, Hammond, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Tulsa and Conway.

The Wildcats are in a new neighborhood in the Southland Conference, but not necessarily without old neighbors in former LSC opponents Stephen F. Austin State University, Sam Houston State University and University of the Incarnate Word.

Those familiar opponents – along with Central Arkansas, McNeese State, Lamar, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana – form the backbone of one of the best mid-major conferences in the country (see sidebar on ACU’s new Southland Conference rivals). Others include Oral Roberts, Houston Baptist, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and New Orleans.

Last fall, Sam Houston State played in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) championship game for the second straight season, and Central Arkansas also qualified for the playoffs.

Northwestern State won the league championship in men’s basketball and was among seven Southland basketball teams (three men’s and four women’s teams) to participate in postseason play in 2013.

In 2013, the league’s television network expanded its reach to 25 affiliate stations for football broadcasts. The Southland also expanded its agreement with ESPN for more basketball and football telecasts, and celebrated its 50th anniversary by naming its teams of the half-century (three ACU Wildcats made the men’s basketball honorees).

Dee Nutt (’50) was the co-coach of the Southland’s all-Decade Team of the 1960s, which included John Ray Godfrey (’68) and Charles Cleek (’66). The Team of the Decade for the 1970s included Ronnie Hearne (’71), who is now the women’s head coach at LSC-member Tarleton State University.

With applications for enrollment to Abilene Christian on the upswing and retention ahead of last year’s pace, an excitement about ACU athletics and its new path has taken hold on campus.

“July 1 is a date we’ve been looking forward to since we accepted the Southland Conference’s invitation last August,” said ACU director of athletics Jared Mosley (’00). “For some of us who have been working on this transition, it seemed like that day would never get here.

But now it’s upon us and we’re all excited about the move. The real work of being a viable Division I program now begins, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

The challenges will be many as one of the premier athletics programs in NCAA Division II steps up to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.

But Wildcat administrators and coaches have already

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universities in the Southland as well as the Big 12 Conference. Schedules created for the 2013-14 school year and beyond will feature the Wildcats playing some of the top teams in the nation, including men’s basketball games against two members of the Atlantic-10 Conference and another against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent – all in the season’s first three games.

Dee Nutt (’50) coached the Wildcats to three Southland Conference men’s basketball titles and their first-ever trip to the NCAA College Division national tournament at the end of the 1965-66 season, where they lost to the University of North Dakota.

begun to begun to meet them head-on.

Coaches are competing for student-athletes being recruited by

Scheduling Surprises ACU is no stranger to playing major NCAA Division I opponents, having met Florida State, Fresno State, Arkansas and Texas Tech in football; the Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and TCU in baseball; Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, New Mexico, Houston, Pepperdine, Texas A&M and Texas Tech in men’s basketball; and Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech and Rice in women’s basketball.

The track and field teams, of course, compete regularly – and have for decades – against the top teams in the nation in major meets such as the Texas Relays and Penn Relays Carnival. With a move to NCAA

Division I, ACU men’s teams will again be eligible for the university division at the Texas Relays instead of the college division, and both men’s and women’s teams will continue to compete against Baylor, Arkansas, TCU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Texas.

“We have a great history of competing against Division I programs, and I know our fans are excited for us to face some of them again,” Mosley said. “But I’m also looking forward to competing against the great teams in the Southland Conference like Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas in football, and Stephen F. Austin, Oral Roberts and Northwestern State in men’s basketball. Those teams will provide us with a great glimpse of where we need to be in our league and at our level, maybe more so than the games against higher Division I opponents.”

The first opportunity ACU fans will have to welcome a major NCAA Division I opponent to campus will be Sept. 10, when the Red Raiders from Texas Tech visit

Get ting to Know You:

The Southland Conference New Member July 1, 2013

New Member July 1, 2013

Abilene Christian University

Houston Baptist University

Location: Abilene, Texas Elevation: 1,719 feet Founded: 1906 as Childers Classical Institute President: Dr. Phil Schubert Enrollment: 4,371 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Bible/ministry, business, education, journalism, sciences Nickname: Wildcats Colors: Purple, white Mascot: Willie the Wildcat Prominent alumni: U.S. Reps. Janice Hahn (California) and Ted Poe (Texas); Lance Barrow, coordinating producer of football and golf for CBS Sports; best-selling Christian author Max Lucado; Randy Brewer, executive producer and owner of Revolution Pictures Inc.; Janice Massey, M.D., neurologist at Duke University Medical Center; Dr. Jack Scott, former chancellor of California Community Colleges System; Jack Pope, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court; Bobby Morrow, Olympic gold medalist and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year; NFL assistant coach Wilbert Montgomery; NFL players Danieal Manning, Bernard Scott and Clyde Gates; and PGA golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.

Quick facts: Named an Apple Distinguished Program for the second year in a row, and regularly named one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News and World Report, Forbes and The Princeton Review. ACU helped found the Southland Conference in 1963. The Wildcats have won the fourth most NCAA national championships, behind only UCLA, Stanford and USC. Distance from Abilene: 0 miles

Location: Houston, Texas Elevation: 43 feet Founded: 1963 as Houston Baptist College President: Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr. Enrollment: 2,198 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Business administration, biology, nursing, psychology Nickname: Huskies Colors: Royal blue, orange Mascot: Kiza the Husky Prominent alumnus: Professional golfer Colin Montgomerie Quick facts: Affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Was once a member of the far-flung Great West Conference with North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley. Current president Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr. grew up in Abilene and was president of Baylor University from 1995-2005. The Huskies will field a football team for the first time in 2013.

Distance from Abilene: 368 miles

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Here are just a few of the teams and conferences represented on ACU schedules during the 2013-14 school year, in addition to Southland opponents.

Moody Coliseum for a women’s volleyball match against ACU. That’s one week after head coach Kellen (Morrow ’05) Mock and her team travel to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech at United Spirit Arena.

“I’m excited to the start the NCAA Division I era off with a bang,” said Mock.

“We’re in a situation where we get to play an opponent we follow and respect for having a great athletics tradition. Home matches are hard to find right now, so we’re excited to have one against a team like Texas Tech. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot of fans in Moody Coliseum that night, and hopefully we can make ACU fans out of some of those Tech people who show up.”

The 2013 ACU football schedule is an eclectic blend of NAIA, and NCAA Division I and II schools, cobbled together because prior scheduling commitments

around the league mean the Wildcats aren’t competing in the Southland Conference this fall. Football is the only ACU athletics program to play an NCAA Division I independent schedule in 2013.

The highlight of the schedule will be an Oct. 26 road game in Las Cruces, N.M., against New Mexico State. The game will mark ACU’s first against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program since 1980, when the Wildcats played Hawaii in Honolulu.

“We’re excited about this move because it allows us to compete in a solid conference while expanding from time to time with an FBS game,” said ACU head football coach Ken Collums. “Normally we will play one or two FBS opponents each year, so it will be exciting to see where our schedule will take us. It will certainly be an extreme challenge, but as we grow

New Member July 1, 2013

this program, I’m confident we will represent Abilene Christian University very competitively.”

The Wildcats will play 11 football games this fall, but only four will be at home.

The first games of the season – Aug. 31 against NAIA-member Concordia College (Ala.), Sept. 7 against NCAA Division II crosstown foe McMurry University and Sept. 14 against Division II opponent New Mexico Highlands – will all be played at Shotwell Stadium. ACU’s only other home game will be the Oct. 19 Homecoming contest against Incarnate Word, which also is moving to the Southland Conference in 2013-14.

Collums’ team will travel to Normal, Ill., to play FCS powerhouse Illinois State on Sept. 21 and then play Tarleton State at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco on Sept. 28. The Wildcats travel to

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University of the Incarnate Word

University of New Orleans

Location: San Antonio, Texas Elevation: 650 feet Founded: 1881 as Academy of the Incarnate Word President: Dr. Louis J. Arnese Jr. Enrollment: 8,455 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Business administration, biology, nursing Nickname: Cardinals Colors: Red, black, white Prominent alumni: Actors Ricardo Chavirra and Jesse Borrego, Tejano music star Patsy Torres, former CNN anchor Linda Stouffer, and former NBA player David Robinson Quick facts: In Texas, UIW is the largest Catholic university and the fourth largest private university. It has five campuses, including ones in Mexico and Germany, and more than 100 sister schools in 37 nations. It began as a Catholic college for women but became fully coeducational in 1971. UIW has schools of optometry, pharmacy, education, business, nursing, and interactive media and design. The Cardinals’ synchronized swimming team placed in the 2006 U.S. Collegiate Championships. UIW is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

Distance from Abilene: 244 miles

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Elevation: 8 feet Founded: 1958 as Louisiana State University in New Orleans President: Dr. Peter J. Fos Enrollment: 10,100 Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities Academic strengths: Jazz studies; film studies; hotel, restaurant and tourism administration; planning and urban studies; earth and environmental sciences; naval architecture and marine engineering; computer science; counselor education Nickname: Privateers Colors: Royal blue, silver Mascot: Lafitte the Instigator (alligator) Prominent alumni: James H. Clark, co-founder of Netscape Communications; actor John Larroquette; Louisiana state Reps. Carl Crane, Jim Donelon (state insurance commissioner), Chris Hazel and Nicholas Lorusso; Paul Mainieri, head baseball coach at Louisiana State University; NBA players Ledell Eackles, Ervin Johnson, Wayne Cooper (now vice president of the Sacramento Kings); MLB players Jim Bullinger, Randy Bush, Wally Whitehurst and Eric Rasmussen.

Quick facts: UNO was used as an evacuation point and staging area by the National Guard during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. It was the first university in New Orleans to reopen after Katrina and the only university in New Orleans to reopen during the Fall 2005 semester. It became the second largest university in the state in 1969.

Distance from Abilene: 700 miles

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The only time John Ray Godfrey (’68) played in Moody Coliseum was the arena’s opening night his senior year, and he made it a memorable one, scoring 41 points, a single-game record that stood for 20 years. He led his team to three straight Southland Conference titles.

Andrew Prince (’75), the No. 2 career rebounder in ACU history, was a sophomore during the Wildcats’ last season in the Southland Conference (1972-73), averaging 15.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Kansas Oct. 5 to take on formidable NCAA Division II foe Pittsburg State before finishing off the four-game road trip Oct. 12 at Houston Baptist at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston.

ACU will play Prairie View A&M, an FCS opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Association, to finish the season Nov. 16.

In advance of the games in Frisco, Houston and San Antonio, the ACU Alumni Association will host pre-game tailgate events as it has done at several games in previous seasons.

“We are excited to gather our alumni and friends to begin, strengthen and renew relationships,” said Craig Fisher (’92), director of alumni relations and annual projects. “It is always such a great time when the ACU family gets together and celebrates. Partnering with our athletics teams on events before their games provides a great place for fans to meet.”

Football fans in much of North Texas and Oklahoma can follow ACU football games on KBXD 1480 AM, a 50,000-watt Christian radio station in the Dallas and Fort Worth area.

The men’s basketball team opens its season in early November on the East Coast against two Atlantic-10 programs and

University of Central Arkansas

Lamar University

Location: Conway, Arkansas Elevation: 312 feet Founded: 1907 as Arkansas State Normal School President and General Counsel: Tim Courtway, J.D. Enrollment: 11,107 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Health sciences, biology, business administration, psychology Nickname: Bears Colors: Purple, gray Mascot: Bear (Bruce D. Bear) Prominent alumni: Former Arkansas governor Benjamin Travis Laney; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee author Dee Brown; actor Gil Gerard; American Idol winner Kris Allen; Terry Pillow, CEO of Tommy Bahama Group, Inc.; Charles “Charlie” Strong, head football coach, University of Louisville; Melvin Ralph Carruth, associate director of engineering, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center; Nanka “Nisi” Sturgis, Broadway actor; Dr. A. Wesley Burks, professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Dexter Pearson, associate director, U.S. Department of Agriculture; former NFL players Monte Coleman, David Evans and Curtis Burrow; and NBA Hall of Fame member Scottie Pippen.

Quick facts: Conway is 30 miles north of Little Rock, Ark. Distance from Abilene: 522 miles

Location: Beaumont, Texas Elevation: 16 feet Founded: 1923 as South Park Junior College President: Dr. James M. Simmons Enrollment: 14,522 Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities Academic strengths: Engineering/technology, business administration, social work Nickname: Cardinals and Lady Cardinals Colors: Red, white Mascot: Big Red Prominent alumni: C.W. Conn, founder of Conn’s electronics and appliance stores; Joe Tortorice, founder of Jason’s Deli and president of Deli Management Inc.; U.S. Reps. Jack Brooks and Nick Lampson; NFL head coach Bum Phillips; TV sports announcer Bill Macatee; MLB players Kevin Millar and Clay Hensley; NFL players Eugene Seale, Wayne Moore and Colin Ridgeway; college basketball coach Billy Tubbs; college baseball coach Jim Gilligan; and PGA golfers Trevor Dodds, Chris Stroud and Ronnie Black.

Quick facts: Beaumont is 90 miles east of Houston. Lamar is part of The Texas State University System. The university is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, former president of the Republic of Texas. The campus moved to its current location in 1942. Lamar dropped football as a sport in 1989 but reinstated it in 2010.

Distance from Abilene: 453 miles

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ending their season further west.

On May 20, the Wildcats will be in Tempe, Ariz., to take on the Sun Devils of Arizona State, one of the most successful college baseball programs of all time.

ASU has won more than 2,700 games and five CWS titles and counts among its alumni all-time MLB home run leader Barry Bonds and New York Yankee legend and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

After the game on May 20, the Wildcats head south to Tucson to close their season with a three-game series against the Arizona Wildcats. They have won four CWS titles and more than 2,600 games in their history, and count among its alumni Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona and former San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman, who is second on the all-time major league saves list.

“Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arizona and Arizona State represent four of the best college baseball programs in the country, and we’re honored to be able to play them,” said Bonneau, who helped OU reach the CWS as a starting outfielder in 1992. “We’ll have a lot of young guys on our team in 2014, so we know those games will be tough. But we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

While some schedules still haven’t been completed, most include dates with high-level competition for a few reasons.

Perhaps the main one is the financial guarantee the nation’s biggest institutions pay to smaller programs in return for a game or match. Those payouts can fund a portion of an athletics budget, and the proceeds from those “money games” are built into budgets across the mid-major landscape as a source of funding.

Another reason is because the Wildcats won’t be able to compete in NCAA post-season play until the 2017-18 school year. ACU is not eligible for Southland Conference postseason competition for any sport in which the winner is the league’s automatic qualifier By the time he graduated, ACU quarterback Jim Lindsey (’71) was college football’s career passing leader, and his name is still prominent in Southland Conference record books more than 40 years later.

JERRY cabluck

an ACC program that has won a national championship in the last dozen years.

“Part of the reason we wanted to schedule the games we did is to give our guys a great experience while they’re here,” said men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding (’99). “Because this is our first year in Division I play, we wanted games to give us some national exposure and spread our brand to different parts of the country.

They will be very tough games from a competition standpoint, but they also will help get us ready for Southland Conference play.”

The women’s basketball team will play on the road at Texas-Arlington (now coached by former West Texas A&M head coach Krista Gerlich) and Tulsa, and also will participate in the North Texas Classic in late November and the Texas-San Antonio Classic in late December.

ACU head baseball coach Britt Bonneau wasted little time in stacking his 2014 schedule with national powerhouses: The Wildcats will play five teams that have won a combined 11,000 games and 11 College World Series titles, and made 52 College World Series appearances and 139 trips to the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats will play a two-game series March 4-5 at Oklahoma, a pair of games at Texas Tech on March 11 and April 8, and a single game at Texas A&M on April 15 before

McNeese State University

Nicholls State University

Location: Lake Charles, Louisiana Elevation: 13 feet Founded: 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College President: Dr. Phillip C. Williams Enrollment: 8,941 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Nursing, engineering, business administration, agriculture Nickname: Cowboys and Cowgirls Colors: Blue, gold Mascot: Rowdy the Cowboy Prominent alumni: Musician Doug Kershaw; historian-author Joe Gray Taylor; best-selling author Eric Pete; former Texas A&M University head football coach R.C. Slocum; MLB players Clay Buchholz, Ray Fontenot, Ben Broussard and Bob Howry; NFL players Leonard Smith, Kavika Pittman and Zach Bronson; and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member and Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars.

Quick facts: Lake Charles is the fifth largest city in Louisiana. Founded as a part of Louisiana State University. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a Tier One Regional University. McNeese State’s football team played in the inaugural Independence Bowl in 1976. Contraband Bayou runs through the campus.

Distance from Abilene: 555 miles

Location: Thibodaux, Louisiana Elevation: 13 feet Founded: 1948 as Frances T. Nicholls Junior College President: Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert Enrollment: 6,088 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Biological sciences, culinary arts, nursing, petroleum services, teacher education Nickname: Colonels Colors: Gray, red Mascot: Colonel Tillou Prominent alumni: State senators Jody Amedee and Norby Chabert; state Reps. Gordon Dove, Joe Harrison, Lenar Whitney and Hunt Downer (former Louisiana Speaker of the House); and NFL players Lardarius Webb, Kareem Moore, Dwight Walker and Antonio Robinson Quick facts: Nicholls is named after Francis T. Nicholls, former governor of Louisiana and member of the state Supreme Court. The campus was once part of the Acadia Plantation, and fronts Bayou Lafourche, about 50 miles southwest of New Orleans and 60 miles southeast of Baton Rouge. Nicholls is one of the first U.S. universities to offer bachelor’s degrees in culinary arts.

Distance from Abilene: 668 miles

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New football uniform for home games

New football uniform for away games

Northwestern State University

Oral Roberts University

Location: Natchitoches, Louisiana Elevation: 118 feet Founded: 1884 as Louisiana State Normal School Chancellor: Dr. Randall J. Webb Enrollment: 9,447 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Nursing, business and psychology Mascot: Demons and Lady Demons Colors: Purple, white Mascot: Vic the Demon Prominent alumni: Author Henry C. Dethloff; Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John B. Fournet; Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the Flying Tigers; Adm. Ronald J. Hays, commander of the Pacific Command; playwright and screenwriter Robert Harling; political consultant Raymond Strother; U.S. Rep. Speedy O. Long; Louisiana Lt. Gov. and state superintendent of education William “Bill” Dodd; Louisiana treasurer Mary Evelyn Parker; state Sens. A.A. Fredericks, Joe McPherson and Kenneth Micheal “Mike” Smith; Louisiana Speaker of the House Joe R. Salter; state Reps. Ernest Wooten, Taylor Townsend, Jane H. Smith and Henry Burns; MLB player Lee Smith; NFL players Jackie Smith, Charlie Hennigan, Bobby Hebert, Joe Delaney, Terrence McGee and Gary Reasons; and U.S. Olympic weightlifting coach Gayle Hatch.

Quick facts: Northwestern State has its main campus in Natchitoches, a nursing and allied health campus in Shreveport, and branch campuses at Alexandria, Leesville/Fort Polk and Marksville.

Distance from Abilene: 435 miles

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Elevation: 722 feet Founded: 1965 President: Dr. William M. Wilson Enrollment: 3,169 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Business, education, engineering, nursing and theology Nickname: Golden Eagles Colors: Blue, gold Mascot: Eli the Golden Eagle Prominent alumni: Singer-songwriter-actor Kathie Lee Gifford; singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder, pianist David Osborne, actor Scott Thompson Baker; Christian music composers Don Moen and Kari Jobe; authors Jim Stovall and David Barton; ministers Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland; U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann; Fox News correspondent Kelly Wright; MLB players Doug Bernier, Steve Holm, Todd Burns, Keith Lockhart, Keith Miller, Mike Moore and Bob Zupcic; and NBA player Hawoode Workman.

Quick facts: ORU is the largest charismatic Christian university in the world, and named after its late founder, evangelist Oral Roberts. Students meet twice a week for Chapel at ORU. Athletics teams were called the Titans until 1993, when they were renamed the Golden Eagles. ORU’s baseball team has played in 21 NCAA regional tournaments and twice advanced to the College World Series. Men’s basketball head coach Scott Sutton has led his team three times to the NCAA national tournament and twice to the NIT. Distance from Abilene: 394 miles

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for an NCAA championship (baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, women’s soccer, softball, golf, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and volleyball).

ACU will be eligible for cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field conference championships beginning in 2013-14 and can participate in the conference golf tournament in 2014, but only as unattached entries.

Other Ramifications of the Move Despite the exclusion from postseason play, coaches already have seen an increase in interest in early recruiting from a higher level of student-athletes across the nation, a direct result of the move to Division I athletics.

Academic standards are generally higher for freshmen and transfers who aspire to play Division I athletics.

Student-athletes must have more credits in high school “core courses” and a minimum grade-point average that is a half-point higher than the minimum for Division II. Junior college transfers must have earned an associate’s degree from a previous institution to be immediately eligible, and have a limited time in which they can complete their degree and still maintain eligibility to compete in athletics.

In Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) measures

eligibility and retention of student-athletes on a semester-by-semester basis.

Universities failing to achieve a minimum APR score of 930 may be penalized by the NCAA. There is no such measurement in Division II, which is one of the reasons why ACU chose to move to Division I. In the last five years, Division II student-athletes have proven to be less academically prepared and less likely to graduate from ACU when compared to the general student population, a trend Abilene Christian wanted to reverse. As ACU’s academic requirements for admissions and expectations for retention performance continue to rise, those gaps would likely have widened without a philosophical change or a move to Division I. So coaches find themselves competing with much larger universities for prospective students ACU’s Bill Gilbreth (’69) was named all-Southland Conference, led the NCAA in strikeouts as a junior, pitched two no-hitters, and still holds the Wildcat career strikeout record (445). He was the 67th player selected in the 1969 major league draft, and began his career with Detroit. In 1991, he was named ACU’s head coach.

than they have been accustomed.

That’s an expected but significant challenge but also one that has created some surprising results.

“We have a great product to sell,” Golding said, “and guys want to be a part of that. We’ve seen a tremendous amount of interest in ACU, and I believe that will continue.”

ACU softball coach Bobby Reeves already has reeled in what could be one of the best recruiting classes in the nation for the 2014 season, a group led by Flower Mound-Marcus High School pitcher Hannah Null. The right-handed pitcher turned down the Texas Longhorns, among others, to sign with the Wildcats. Null threw multiple no-hitters during her senior season at Marcus and is one of the top-ranked high school pitchers in the state.

“Honestly, her experience at Chapel is what sold Hannah on coming to ACU,” Reeves said. “The way she felt the day she left Chapel was all she needed to know that this was the place where she needed to get her education and play softball.”

ACU attracted a talented pool of

Sam Houston State University

Southeastern Louisiana University

Location: Huntsville, Texas Elevation: 371 feet Founded: 1879 as Sam Houston Normal Institute President: Dr. Dana L. Gibson Enrollment: 18,461 Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities Academic strengths: Criminal justice, education, banking, performing arts, mathematics Nickname: Bearkats Colors: Orange, white Mascot: Sammy Bearkat Prominent alumni: Journalist-author Dan Rather; Super Bowl XLV head referee Walt Anderson; Broadway star Katie Rose Clarke; former MLB Astros owner Don Sanders; Oscar-nominated film director/screenwriter Richard Linklater; award-winning country music songwriter Allen Shamblin; actor Dana Andrews; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) William F. Garrison; and NFL players Michael Bankston, Stan Blinka, Guido Merkens and Josh McCown.

Quick facts: SHSU is the third oldest university in Texas, named after Texas’ greatest hero, Sam Houston. Its College of Criminal Justice is the home of the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, one of only four such facilities in the nation. The Bearkats and the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin State University play an annual football game named the Battle of the Piney Woods in Houston at Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL Texans and the Super Bowl.

Distance from Abilene: 315 miles

Location: Hammond, Louisiana Elevation: 43 feet Founded: 1925 as Hammond Junior College President: Dr. John L. Crain Enrollment: 15,404 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Business, nursing and health sciences, biology, engineering/technology, education and teacher preparation, communications, fine and digital arts Mascot: Lions and Lady Lions Colors: Green, gold Mascot: Roomie the Lion Prominent alumni: ABC-TV Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts; Murphy Oil Corp. CEO Steven A. Cossé; U.S federal Judge James Brady; U.S. federal Judge Carl Barbier (BP spill settlement case); operatic tenor Donald George; five-time Grammy Award-winning pianist Bill Evans. Louisiana Senate president John Alario Jr.; American Heart Association president Coletta Barrett; IBM vice president (retired) Albert Kuhn; Atlanta Falcons second-round draft pick Robert Alford.

Quick facts: Southeastern is the third largest university in Louisiana. In addition to its main campus in Hammond, it maintains facilities in Baton Rouge (nursing), Mandeville, and the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center in Walker. The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is a field research facility located between lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas.

Distance from Abilene: 667 miles

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In 1963, Dr. Jack Griggs (’64) became the first academic all-America student-athlete at ACU. As a senior linebacker, he helped the Wildcats finish out an 8-1 record by recording 17 tackles in a 32-29 season-ending win over Fresno State. He later became dean of the College of Business Administration.

players in the first Division I signing group in Wildcat football history. Leading the class are transfer wide receiver Cedric Gilbert (Cisco College), transfer running back Herschel Sims (Lamar University), and freshmen Quinton Baker (defensive back from Austin), De’Andre Brown (running back from Lewisville), Quentin Bryant (defensive back from Mart), Sam Fodale (center from Shreveport, La.),

Randy Gober (running back from Waco), Kade Munden (quarterback from China Spring), Hayden Wall (offensive lineman from Hallsville), and D.J. Arnold (defensive back from Wichita Falls).

Among the schools those new student-athletes turned down to sign with ACU are Texas-El Paso, Texas State, Syracuse, Baylor, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Tulsa, Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State, Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio.

Because the Wildcats won’t be playing a Southland Conference schedule until 2014 and aren’t eligible for a conference championship or playoff berth until 2017, Collums said other student-athletes weren’t interested in signing.

“We ran into some issues, just like we knew we would,” Collums said. “But we knew about those going into this process.

I think it speaks to how much the guys we signed wanted to be here, because they had to look past all that. They wanted to be here with us and be part of our program, which makes us love them even more.”

Because the Wildcats have been working within NCAA Division II scholarship restrictions for 40 years, a jump to NCAA Division I scholarship maximums won’t happen immediately.

Those increases will be phased in over a five-year period, with each sport seeing a jump in scholarship numbers.

Just like nearly every NCAA Division I

program, ACU also now has a deal with a major apparel company. In February, ACU announced it had signed a three-year marketing contract with Adidas for the apparel giant to outfit each of its teams beginning June 1. That announcement came just a few days after ACU revealed its new athletics logo and branding identity (see pages 10-13).

Another ripple effect of the move to the Southland Conference is the likelihood that long-standing rivals from the LSC such as West Texas A&M, Angelo State, Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas A&M-Kingsville will appear less frequently on future ACU schedules.

The women’s basketball team will host Angelo State in early November, but the Rambelles are the only LSC team on either basketball schedule. Those rivalries will soon fade into the history books as ACU continues to schedule more games against not only bigger Division I programs, but mid-major programs in every sport.

“We’ve enjoyed great rivalries with West Texas A&M, Angelo State, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas A&M-Commerce and others,” Mosley said, “and we’ll always have deep respect for those institutions, the competition we shared and the talented student-athletes who will always be a part of that heritage. But we’re looking ahead to a new day and a new future for ACU athletics, and we’re excited that it has us back in the Southland Conference.”

Stephen F. Austin University

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Location: Nacogdoches, Texas Elevation: 302 feet Founded: 1921 as Stephen F. Austin Teachers College President: Dr. Baker Pattillo Enrollment: 12,954 Carnegie classification: Master’s Colleges and Universities Academic strengths: Education, forestry and agriculture, business, science Nickname: Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks Colors: Purple, white Prominent alumni: Nancy Dickey, M.D., first woman named president of the American Medical Association and the Texas A&M Health Science Center; Dr. Joseph Kennedy, co-discoverer of plutonium; former Colorado governor Bill Owens; musicians Will Jennings, Ronnie Laws, Rodney Crowell and Don Henley; football coaches Bum Phillips and Spike Dykes; and NFL players Jeremiah Trotter, Mikhael Ricks and Larry Centers.

Quick facts: Nacogdoches is a sister city with Natchitoches, La., home of Northwestern State University, and 180 miles southeast of Dallas. SFA was named after one of Texas’ founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. It is one of four independent public universities in the state. Chief Caddo, a 7-foot, 6-inch, 330-pound statue carved from a black gum log, is the tallest trophy in college football, and goes to the winner each year of the game between SFA and Northwestern State University. It is named to honor the Native American tribe that settled each school’s community. SFA is a nine-time winner of the National Cheerleading Association Collegiate National Championship.

Distance from Abilene: 363 miles

Location: Corpus Christi, Texas Elevation: 7 feet Founded: 1947 as University of Corpus Christi President: Dr. Flavius Killebrew Enrollment: 10,500 Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities Academic strengths: Coastal studies, marine science, mechanical engineering, nursing, business, education, arts, media, and communication Nickname: Islanders Colors: Blue, green Mascot: Izzy the Islander Prominent alumni: Theresa Barrera, vice president of supplier diversity for Walmart; Janie Barrera, founder of Accion Texas, Texas state Rep. Raul Torres; author Kim Henkel ( The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ); and Sarah Pauly, all-America softball player and 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Pitcher of the Year.

Quick facts: In 1519, on the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi, Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda discovered a lush semi-tropical bay on what is now the southern coast of Texas. The spot Pineda discovered is now home to the largest city on the Texas Coast and is the sixth largest port in the nation. Key industries include petrochemical, tourism, health care, retail, education, shipping, agriculture and the military. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is the only university on its own island. The island university has earned its spot as a premier doctoral-granting institution, supporting two institutes and 13 research centers and labs.

Distance from Abilene: 389 miles

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E U R T

S R O L G* N I O P P C HI S E E *FR

Y � at T OD A i n g U C de “A e e s h ipp o co fr r om p e iv e e r. r c e E nt t o r e ne x t or d t u o k r c u e o ch on y

campusstore.acu.edu

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

Stories by Paul A. Anthony and Tamara Thompson Illustrations by Jack Maxwell Photography by Scott Suchman

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Commander

H ALUMNI AWARDS

David Bynum

A

bilene Christian’s 107-year history is distinguished by the accomplishments of graduates who take to heart the university’s mission, using their God-given talents as servant-leaders around the world.

Pentagon-bound military chaplain was mentored by a minister but found his calling in the Navy

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Provides timely recognition of the lifetime achievement of an individual who has brought honor to ACU through personal and professional excellence and service to the university, the church or the community.

Young Alumnus of the Year Recognizes professional achievement and/or distinguished service to the university. To be eligible, a recipient must not have reached 40 years of age at the time of nomination.

PAUL WHITE

Distinguished Alumni Citation Recognizes distinctive personal or professional achievement that has merited the honor and praise of peers and colleagues.

NOTE TO OUR READERS

SCOTT SUCHMAN

In an effort to better align our publication cycle with the university’s timetable for presenting its annual alumni awards, this layout includes profiles of all 2013 winners, as well as Distinguished Alumni Citation recipients for 2012. Beginning in 2014, our Spring-Summer issue will profile the full complement of annual awardees in the same calendar year in which they are recognized.

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2013

H OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR H

E

ven as a youngster, Cmdr. David Bynum (’84) knew he wanted to be a minister like Henry McBroom (’54).

The preacher of a Church of Christ in Brady, Texas, made a lasting impression on Bynum, setting him on a path in two major areas of his life. Bynum lived in Brady until age 7, when his family moved east to San Saba. Even then, he and McBroom saw each other every summer for years at the Heart of Texas Bible Camp in Brady.

By age 10, Bynum knew he wanted to emulate McBroom. “I wanted to be like him.

I admired him for who he was and how highly regarded he was,” Bynum said.

Determined to fulfill his aspirations, in eighth grade he set a goal to graduate eight years later with a degree in Bible from ACU. “My parents encouraged me to be goal-oriented. My dad was always a big believer in goal-setting,” he said, adding that his father viewed education as a lever to move a person forward. “Besides goal-setting, I think, another important thing is to not lose sight of your goals.”

Bynum did not.

Now a chaplain in the Navy, Bynum will complete his fifth college degree – a master’s in strategic studies – in June at the National War College in Washington, D.C., before beginning a new position at the Pentagon.

On Sept. 1, he will be elevated to the rank of captain.

He earned three degrees from ACU – a bachelor’s in biblical studies, a Master of Divinity and a doctorate in ministry – each under the tutelage of professors he admired for their scholarship and godliness, including Drs. Neil Lightfoot, LeMoine Lewis (’36), Charles Siburt (’68) and and Ian Fair (’68), then-chair of the Bible department, who selected Bynum to be his graduate assistant.

He also credits former Hillcrest Church of Christ evangelist Jimmy Jividen (’51), with encouraging him to attend graduate school.

“Those people, I carry them with me wherever I go,” Bynum said. “How far I’ve gone is because of their influence.”

After earning his bachelor’s and master’s

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degrees, Bynum fulfilled his dream to become a minister at churches in Waco and Hearne, Texas, while completing his doctorate. In 2003 he earned a master’s degree in religion and culture from Duke University.

Oh, and that other path McBroom inspired 10-year-old Bynum to take?

It concerned his future mate.

At camp, McBroom told him, “You need to be praying right now for the spouse that God is going to bring to you someday,” Bynum recalled. Ten years later while teaching at the same camp, he met Elizabeth Petty, a counselor from Lubbock Christian University. They married two summers later.

After a decade in local ministry, Bynum felt the need to experience ministry in a broader context. He had always wanted to serve his country, and becoming a military chaplain fit the bill.

Torn because he loved the congregation in Hearne, he discussed his quandary with his father. “He said, ‘Sometimes our determination for a thing can push us farther than we ought to go.’ He knew me well enough to know how determined and dedicated I was, but he could also see that I maybe needed a little push to go ahead and make the decision,” Bynum recalled.

“Of course, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because I think it ultimately was the place God wanted us to minister.”

Joining the military, however, affected not

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just him, but his family, which had grown with the births of daughter Rebekah and son Micah. The career move had to be a family decision.

“We knew it was going to be such a life change,” he said. “For us, our first assignment was overseas in Okinawa, so we got the whole change of culture from civilian to institutional ministry [and] a change of culture from Texas to Okinawa. It was a big decision.”

Commissioned in 1995, his career has taken him around the world. In addition to Japan, he has served in Korea; Guam; Kingsville, Texas; Bahrain; Singapore; Hawaii; and Afghanistan, among others.

Bynum is one of only five Church of Christ chaplains in the Navy and one of 10 ACU alumni serving as a military chaplain, according to Col. Don Taylor, retired Army chaplain and the endorsing agent for Church of Christ-affiliated chaplains in the armed forces. Currently, Churches of Christ endorse 40 chaplains serving in the armed forces, which includes the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard active and reserve forces.

Becoming a Navy chaplain enabled Bynum to broaden his ministry to the Marines and Coast Guard, as well as Navy troops. It also gave him the opportunity to go to sea, with a tour aboard the USS Nimitz in 2006. While in Kingsville, he also took to the air as a wing chaplain, accumulating more than 150 flight hours and numerous aircraft carrier landings and earning a Parachutist Badge (also known as Jump Wings).

But his primary duties involved spiritual guidance and counseling of service members. Like all military chaplains, he is bound by a code of ethics preventing him from doing something counter to his faith tenets, such as infant baptism. However, he must facilitate for those outside his faith group who come to him with a need he ethically cannot fill. For example, he would connect a sailor wanting to baptize his infant with a minister willing to do so. All chaplains must care for any service member, regardless of faith or lack thereof.

“There’s no doubt to me, that as a chaplain, the best work is when you’re at

those lower ranks and you’re dealing with people every day,” he said. “You’re going to be spending most of your time with the problems of 18- to 25-year-olds. “It’s going to be a lot of life counseling; spiritual and emotional issues; and disciplinary issues.”

Bound by the highest degrees of confidentiality, chaplains increasingly are dealing with potential suicides.

“We’re often the first responders for that. … Sailors or Marines will come to us in distress, knowing they can talk to a chaplain and it’s kept confidential,” he said.

Bynum believes recent increases in suicides among military personnel is precipitated by “the demands we’ve placed on an all-volunteer force with more than 10 years of sustained combat operations.” He said repeated tours of duty with little rest between them puts stress on servicemen, servicewomen and their families.

As he has risen in rank, Bynum has become less involved in counseling.

“As you move in the higher administrative positions, you start to advise senior officers more about strategic issues than providing tactical-level ministry to soldiers and sailors, airmen, Marines or others,” Bynum said.

After earning his fifth degree in June, he will become director of operations for Adm. Mark Pidd, the Navy chief of chaplains, at the Pentagon. Three months later, he will become a captain.

“Chaplain Bynum is very committed to service, ministry and spiritual leadership.

He has an excellent reputation in the Navy,” said Col. Taylor, the Churches of Christ endorsing agent and a congregant with the Bynums of the Fairfax (Va.) Church of Christ. Since moving to Falls Church, Va., in 2012, Bynum and his wife, an educator, have been active in several ministries at the Fairfax congregation, Taylor said.

Now grown, Micah is a freshman at ACU, and Rebekah (’11) is working on a master’s degree in psychology at Texas Wesleyan University. With pride in his voice, Bynum notes that Rebekah is thinking about going into the military after completing her doctorate in psychology.

And why not, when her father’s military experience has been so exemplary?

“I think it ultimately was the place God wanted us to minister,” he said. “Frankly, God’s favor has been on me during this time. It’s not that I’m particularly special or gifted. It’s kind of like Jacob, you know, everything he did God blessed. … That’s the way I’ve felt within the military – rising to senior double rank and having a number of good assignments, as well as having great opportunities to continue my education. It all has really just been a blessing from God.”

– TAMARA THOMPSON

(INSET) Bynum visits with Col. Kenneth L. Sampson, Army chaplain, senior military fellow at the Institute for National Security Ethics and Leadership, and professor of ethics at the National War College.

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YOUNG ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

Dr. Marcus Nelson

“These kids deserve leadership

that cares for every student every day and wants to be in the hood where often kids need courageous leadership the most.”

JACK MAXWELL

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hile many students arrive at ACU with parents and even a U-Haul trailer, Dr. Marcus Nelson (’94) showed up in 1990 with the map of Texas he used to find his way to Abilene.

“When I got there, the university welcomed me,” Nelson said. “Bob Gomez and a couple of other people made sure I was successful. He told my mother he’d make sure I was taken care of at ACU.” Nelson grew up in a low-income neighborhood of northeast San Antonio, and his mother made sure he and his little brother rode the MacArthur Park Church of Christ white “Joy Bus” each time it came by on Sundays and Wednesdays. The Nelson boys were latchkey kids who fended for themselves while their mother worked two jobs to make ends meet. Marcus was a promising high school football player whose hopes were ended by a knee injury.

That first-hand experience with poverty animates Nelson (’94) as he works with children from one of Texas’ largest – and most economically disadvantaged – school districts. Since 2009, he has been superintendent of the 25,000-student Laredo Independent School District, where the poverty rate is three times higher than the Texas average and median household incomes are half.

Nelson came to Abilene as a youth and family ministry major. His connection with the MacArthur Park congregation allowed him to meet Gomez, ACU’s most affable student recruiter of the day, who offered a scholarship to help him and his mother afford the tuition.

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Break Campaign to Michigan, where he worked in some local schools. “Next thing you know,” he said, “I didn’t want to be a youth minister. I wanted to be a principal.”

After graduation, he took what he calls “the hard road” to being superintendent.

He has taught elementary and high school, been a middle school vice principal and high school principal, earning master’s and doctoral degrees along the way. He was second-in-command of the Judson ISD near San Antonio before being appointed superintendent in Laredo, which sits on the Rio Grande in deep South Texas.

Ninety-seven percent of students in Laredo are economically disadvantaged.

The median family income of about $24,000 is half the Texas average, and nearly 44 percent of residents live below the poverty line – making it the poorest in Texas.

“I try to be a breath of fresh air and provide hope and change where I’m working,” he said. “If you view your work as a ministry, you’re never really working.”

Nelson’s background has led him to work in districts with high levels of poverty and that has made his job harder.

“It’s been rewarding; you see the fruits of your labor at graduation,” he said. “I’ve had to bury a student who was killed at lunch, I’ve had to break up gang activity.

It was a lot of tough times.”

Now the tough times are different, as Nelson handles the complex duties of superintendent: Expanding enrollments and decreased state funding, juggling the needs of faculty and staff with the priorities of a school board, staying personally involved with the tens of thousands of students and employees under his supervision.

“Without question, I miss the daily

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interaction with students,” said Nelson.

“I still try to find time to visit campuses every day and meet students and staff.

I enjoy the superintendent side of it and working with the kids and their families.”

After going through five superintendents in the previous seven years, Laredo ISD is entering its fourth year with Nelson at the helm, giving him a longevity unseen in Laredo for more than a decade.

Nelson points to improved Advanced Placement test scores, an increased graduation rate, lower drop-out rates, and an unprecedented number of Laredo schools earning the state’s highest academic rating as examples of what can happen “when a district – even one where kids are below the poverty line – is led by committed adults working together passionately for students.”

“For me, it’s about working with kids in poverty,” he said. “I’m attracted to places where a lot of people wouldn’t want to go.

I’m attracted to the challenge. These kids deserve leadership that cares for every student every day and wants to be in the hood where often kids need courageous leadership the most.”

It’s a passion nurtured ever since a Joy Bus picked him up for church, and developed during his time at ACU. “ACU has this unique way of blending the development of your faith with the development of your career that sets its graduates up for success in whatever career path they choose,” he said. “Today, as an employer, ACU grads just seem better prepared than other graduates. I may be biased, but I really believe something very special happens to people on the Hill.”

– PAUL A. ANTHONY

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Shannon Wilburn

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hannon (McKnight ’92) Wilburn, co-founder and CEO of Just Between Friends, the nation’s largest consignment franchiser, is proof that blessing can come from adversity.

When she was 12, her father, Doug McKnight (’71), was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, disabling him in a matter of weeks. Her mother went back to work and the family struggled to work with restricted budgets.

“We had to make our money stretch,” she recalled. “We would shop at consignment stores because you could get the brand-name things and the nice things for pennies on the dollar.”

Along with fostering an appreciation for consignment stores, the illness led McKnight to pass on his sense of budgeting and bookkeeping to his daughters – and, most importantly, led the family to become more involved in church.

All three developments have become huge pieces of Wilburn’s career with Just Between Friends.

In 1988, she and her twin sister followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended ACU, where she met Mitch Wilburn (’90). The couple married two years later and moved to Tulsa, Okla., where Mitch became youth minister for the Park Plaza Church of Christ.

Initially a schoolteacher, Shannon stopped teaching to raise their two children, but continued looking for ways to supplement Mitch’s income. Her mother

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Rob Thomas

ou may not have heard of Rob Thomas (’96), but chances are good you’ve seen his work online or in church services.

Thomas, the founder and president of Igniter Media, is the creative force behind such viral videos as That’s My King!, an excerpt of a sermon by the late preacher S.M. Lockridge set to a beat, and A Social Network Christmas, in which the biblical story is retold via Facebook wall posts.

Each has been viewed more than 3 million times on YouTube.com.

“It’s really amazing,” said Thomas, a 2013 Distinguished Alumni Citation recipient.

“I get to do a lot of the things that I think are what God created me to do.”

Thomas’ love of film started in childhood when he borrowed his dad’s VHS camera to make movies around the house with his friends.

In 1992 he came to ACU as a communication major and became

suggested hosting a consignment sale.

Wilburn shared the idea with Daven Tackett, a member of their church, and the pair decided to try it. The first sale in 1997 featured clothes from 17 consignors, the majority of them Park Plaza members.

“We had it inside,” Wilburn said, “because we didn’t want people to think it was a garage sale. We each made $150.

Looking back, that was probably a penny an hour.”

Nevertheless, Wilburn and Tackett continued to host sales, each larger than the last. As word about the sale spread, they helped friends start similar businesses that proved successful. That is when the pair decided to franchise the Just Between Friends consignment sale concept.

“We grew slowly,” Wilburn said.

“We did this as we had money. There’s no way I could have believed a living room sale would become a multimillion-dollar company, hosting events in more than 130 cities around the nation.”

Just Between Friends today has about 60,000 consigners for the two sales its franchisees hold annually in each city.

It has been featured on Good Morning America, Inside Edition, The Today Show, CNN, ABC News and other programs.

Wilburn knows her father, who died in 1998, would approve of her success: “My mom will sometimes say, ‘Daddy would be so proud of you.’”

– PAUL A. ANTHONY

familiar with computer-based video-editing software in his journalism classes. “That major, those professors, they really affirmed my confidence in myself,” he said. “I felt like I grew a lot spiritually in college. I made some great friendships and deep, deep relationships.”

After college, he began making short videos for churches while working at a video-editing television job. Three months after getting married in 2001, he told his wife Haley he wanted to quit his TV job and form his own video company. He started what would become Igniter Media, producing short videos intended for use as Sunday-morning sermon illustrations.

“Videos can be very powerful. You can have a big effect on a person in three to five minutes,” Thomas said.

The first video, Are You Amazed?, played a Phillips, Craig and Dean song over scenes from the film Jesus of Nazareth. After watching a church play the five-minute

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2013 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI CITATIONS video, Thomas said the reaction convinced him he had a potentially successful idea.

He began calling the projects mini-movies and has since produced 125 of them, available for preview on YouTube. The mostviewed mini-movie is 99 Balloons, the touching story of a family’s journey with

Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder that is almost always fatal.

Today, Thomas heads RT Creative Group, an umbrella organization that includes Igniter Media, which produces the mini-movies; Echo Hub, which organizes an annual conference for church members and

leaders who are creatively gifted; and Graceway Media, which produces looping animation that has appeared in as many as 115,000 churches across the country.

– PAUL A. ANTHONY

“I paid for

an education. I received the education, plus learned how to be a man, how to be a husband, how to be a leader. This is one way I can give back in those areas.”

– CHAD BAKER

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Chad Baker

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had Baker (’99) now holds a Champion of Excellence award from his employer and a Distinguished Alumni Citation from the university that awarded him a bachelor’s degree. But his road to those honors began when he arrived for an interview dressed like a sailor.

That’s what happens when appointments conflict with Sing Song weekend in Abilene in mid-February.

“He was in town and was available,” Baker said of the representative from the Staubach Co., a commercial real estate firm with whom the ACU sophomore was seeking an internship the next summer.

“That was the only time he had available.

It gave us a good laugh, going to Mr. Gatti’s [pizza restaurant] and interviewing in a sailor costume.”

The Gamma Sigma Phi Sing Song outfit didn’t prevent Baker from landing the internship, and he returned each summer and Christmas until he graduated in 1999.

Since graduation, Baker has worked for the company, now called Jones Lang LaSalle.

As JLL vice president and regional director, Baker has worked with clients such as Mazda and Shell Oil, negotiating more than 200 commercial real estate transactions worth nearly $1 billion. In March he received the Champion of Excellence award, which recognizes an employee’s professional performance,

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leadership, client service and ability to perform consistently at the industry’s highest level.

JLL, which employs more than 40,000 people, only gives five such awards annually.

“It’s been so humbling and very encouraging,” Baker said. “You just go out with the goal of living for Jesus. That’s really my heart in this.”

While a student in the ACU College of Business Administration, Baker was encouraged to seek a mentoring relationship with management professor (and now dean) Dr. Rick Lytle. Baker took as many of Lytle’s classes as possible and observed the way he carried himself, personally and professionally.

“I was just kind of a sponge,” Baker said. “That was a big part of my experience at Abilene Christian.”

Now married to Ashley (Spessard ’02) and the father of two children, Baker tries to pay forward the support and mentoring he received at ACU, including recently mentoring Matt Sanderson (’13), who completed an internship last summer and begins working full time for JLL this summer (see page 75).

“I paid for an education,” Baker said.

“I received the education, plus learned how to be a man, how to be a husband, how to be a leader. This is one way I can give back in those areas.”

– PAUL A. ANTHONY

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Hal Runkel

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Curt Cloninger

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or someone who makes a living teaching parents how to stop screaming at and start talking to their kids, the career success of Hal Runkel (’94 M.M.F.T.) is speaking rather loudly these days.

A licensed therapist, relationship coach, international speaker, and organizational consultant, Runkel is the founder and president of The ScreamFree Institute, an organization committed to equipping parents, couples and professionals. He has written three New York Times bestsellers: ScreamFree Parenting, ScreamFree Marriage, and The Self-Centered Marriage.

Runkel has been featured in more than 1,000 media outlets, including multiple appearances on NBC’s Today Show.

Runkel is a graduate of ACU’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program and received a Distinguished Alumni Citation for 2012. He says the principles he learned during his time at ACU have aided him in his work as a relationship coach and expert.

“We tell people from the beginning, ‘The greatest thing you can do for your marriage is focus more on yourself and less on your spouse. The greatest thing you can do for your kids is focus more on you than your kids.’ And people are a little jarred by that. I follow it up with a message that makes total common sense. ‘Look, you know you’re not in control of your kids.

You know you’re not in control of your

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urt Cloninger (’76) has been doing his one-man shows about faith for nearly 30 years, but he seldom does them alone. His words are designed to reveal the thoughts and souls of many men, from stuffy theologian-authors, to lowly shepherds, to Jesus.

He is an actor and writer whose comic and dramatic presentations are designed to help people better understand the Creator.

A theatre and communication graduate, he has performed before crowds as large as 30,000 and small enough to fit in his living room. In February 2012, he was invited to present at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. But speaking in Chapel at ACU Oct. 8, 2012, held a special place in his heart, and was something he had anticipated for many years. The opportunity came, coincidentially, on his 58th birthday.

He coerced students to sing Happy Birthday to him, which he recorded on his iPhone and posted on Facebook.

spouse. So, who are you in control of?

You should focus on the only person in that relationship you can actually control, and that’s yourself. Focusing on you means that you’re going to take a more deliberate approach in how you speak, instead of a reactive approach.’”

He loves how most people react. “Many say, ‘When I first heard you, it was so jarring that it made it hard to listen. but at the end it makes so much sense that I wonder why it hasn’t been put this way before.’”

Runkel, who spoke in Chapel in February, says ACU’s role as a university is best seen in how it launches new Christian leaders into the world.

“ACU, and this city and the churches we attended, gave us a wonderful foundation from which to launch into a productive adulthood,” he said. “It gave me a new way of thinking about community because it wasn’t just reinforced by what I was learning, it was reinforced by what I was experiencing in the community. It has a sacred place in my life.”

The late Dr. Charles Siburt (’68), who coordinated church relations for ACU before his death in July 2012, was a mentor.

“He was a rock for me,” Runkel said.

“He was the adult who called me into more maturity, but did it in a way that was like Jesus – ‘My yoke is easy’ – and that’s what it felt like. So I’m missing him, a lot.”

– RON HADFIELD

“Beyond the self-serving birthday song, I really looked forward to performing in Chapel because I felt like I was completing a big circle,” Cloninger said. “I remember all those years ago, sitting in Moody, hearing Dr. John Willis (’55) speak or some other gifted ‘bringer of grace.’ So, on that October morning, I loved being able to be the one to bring a ‘good word’ to students sitting where I sat 35 years ago.”

His Chapel presentation was part of a nine-week study of Genesis, based on the questions, “Who is God? Who Am I?” Cloninger performed a skit in Moody Coliseum from God-Views, in which he depicted various stereotypical ways in which God is perceived. The material was inspired by J.B. Phillips’ book, Your God is Too Small, and the writings of C.S. Lewis and John Stott.

“I find it particularly relevant for college students, because the college experience is, by its very nature, a time to examine and test what they think about God and life,”

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Cloninger said. “I love the experience of ‘seeing the light bulb’ go on in their eyes, when they wrestle with these concepts.”

Most of his shows are for churches, schools, colleges, and ministry conferences.

At the National Prayer Breakfast, Cloninger

presented Jesus Talks! – a 25-minute monologue about the parables and the Last Supper – for political, church, civic and business leaders from around the world.

“I’ve always considered myself to be an entirely flabbergasted recipient of favor

and grace,” he said. “For the past 35 years I’ve been blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love: writing and performing theatre about Jesus.

What more can a man ask?”

– RON HADFIELD

“Attending ACU

was no accident. … It gave me the trust in humanity and the faith that we all can make a difference, no matter how daunting the task.”

– LEON McNEIL

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Leon McNeil

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ometown heroes can be difficult to find these days.

But Leon McNeil (’93) does his best to qualify.

After graduating from ACU with a degree in natural and applied sciences, McNeil returned to his hometown of San Antonio, determined to help at-risk youth.

The result was City Kids Adventures, a nonprofit organization that helps students from urban areas take advantage of outdoor experiences usually unavailable to them.

“Originally, we gave kids an opportunity to really understand that someone cares about them,” McNeil said. “We then realized we had more and more kids who needed the same attention, and we hated to limit kids because we could no longer afford to take everyone everywhere. That was the beginning of City Kids Adventures.”

City Kids Adventures, orginally known as Camp Hawkeye, emphasizes the importance of providing a quality education while introducing youth to the outdoors.

Inner-city youth from ages 7-17 receive often life-changing experiences from the King Ranch to Baffin Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Guided by adults, they enjoy camping, four-wheeling, freshwater and saltwater fishing, and hunting trips featuring skeet shooting, and hunting deer and wild hogs.

“There is something very spiritual about the outdoors, and for us it provides the connection we need to introduce biblical teachings without intimidating the kids in our program,” McNeil said.

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His own passion for the outdoors was ignited at ACU, which he attended on a football scholarship.

“A very special couple introduced me to the great outdoors, and I fell in love with it," said McNeil, who signed up for a camping class his freshman year. “What an eye-opening experience that was!”

McNeil created CKA with a mission to introduce inner-city youth to a world beyond their communities. For 18 years, City Kids Adventures has served more than 1,000 children – 150 each year – and expanded to include trips to such places as the Grand Canyon; Alaska; Washington, D.C.; and New York City.

CKA also mentors students as they transition into high school and college, providing career guidance and taking kids on tours of universities in the region.

Throughout the curriculum are moments designed to build each student’s self-esteem and confidence. McNeil says his time at ACU produced similar experiences, and had a huge effect on his decision to help children in his hometown.

“Attending ACU was no accident," McNeil said. "The daily Chapel, the friendships, the kind and caring professors, and the warm feeling of being a part of something much bigger than I could ever understand – it gave me the trust in humanity and the faith that we all can make a difference, no matter how daunting the task.”䊱 – PAUL A. ANTHONY

By Paul A. Anthony

WorldWide Witness program introduces students of all majors to missional living er name was Ano. Her mother left her at the doorstep of the Danai Children’s Home in Zimbabwe.

She was just a year old. Young – but old enough to sense the abandonment.

“She wouldn’t smile,” said Caroline Nikolaus.

“If someone tried to pick her up, she would

Students climb for a dramatic view overlooking Capetown, South Africa.

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our internships force students to get out of their culture in an extraordinary way.

-Dr. Chris Flanders

scream. You could almost see the hurt even though she didn’t know what was going on.”

Nikolaus, senior psychology major from O’Fallon, Ill., spent the summer of 2012 working at Danai and two other homes for abandoned and orphaned children as part of the WorldWide Witness program through ACU’s Halbert Institute for Missions. e experience reshaped her life, Nikolaus said, and cemented her desire to pursue long-term missions after college.

“I felt God in Zimbabwe in a way I never had before,” she said.

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and what I was passionate about.”

WorldWide Witness exists to help students find such clarifying moments, its organizers say. e program, in its 12th year, provides short-term vocational missions opportunities each summer for dozens of students, regardless of major or planned career. For many, such as Nikolaus, the program becomes the beginning of a domestic or international career in missions.

For many others, however, the program is no less life-altering, even if the students do

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not become full-time missionaries, said Dr. Gary Green, director of the program and missions coordinator for Latin America.

“It helps them in some major ways in spiritual formation,” Green said. “ey come back permanently changed people.”

WorldWide Witness’ broad availability and rigorous preparation offer ACU students an opportunity to experience intercultural service on a level unmatched elsewhere. Each summer dozens of students travel to each of six continents, staying with host families and working full time at a variety of internships.

Ali Hayes, junior education major from Abilene, was introduced to Asian elephants during a WorldWide Witness trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in June 2012.

(BELOW LEFT) Jeremy Davis (’08) comforts a Zambian child.

(BELOW RIGHT) Ashley Carroll (’12) walks with new friends through a garden at Sam’s Place, an orphanage for deaf children in western Kenya. Sam’s Place was made possible by an endowment honoring the late S.E. “Sam” McReynolds, assistant professor of mathematics at ACU.

RILEY THANNUM

(BELOW CENTER) David Conley (’11) plays with children in Africa.

“WorldWide Witness is one way, a prominent way, that ACU is doing the global and missional pieces of our mission extraordinarily well,” said Dr. Chris Flanders (’87), associate professor of missions and director of the Halbert Institute. “Our internships force students to get out of their culture in an extraordinary way.”

ACU has a long history of supporting mission work, beginning in its earliest years, when Dr. W.W. Freeman, professor of Bible and Greek, organized missions studies classes in 1918 and student Lillie Cypert (’26), traveled to Japan while taking classes part time.

In the decades since, ACU has prepared missionaries through various programs, including a stand-alone missions department, which was folded into the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry in 2000 and was renamed the Halbert Institute of Missions.

At the same time, Green, a missionary in Venezuela, was hired and charged with finding ways to expand the number of summer missions internships available to Abilene Christian students. Such programs had existed at ACU since the late 1970s but had become increasingly informal.

As a result, no more than a handful of students were participating each summer.

“You had to know one of the missionaries personally,” Green said, “and set it up one at a time.”

Green and Wimon Walker (’78), a missions coordinator at the time who now coordinates ACU’s Study Abroad program in Montevideo, Uruguay, began organizing

WorldWide Witness and recruiting its first class of students for the summer of 2002.

Although Green had envisioned eventually sending as many as 30 students to six or seven locations, the program’s first class comprised 33 students at 18 places. ose numbers have doubled in the decade since.

“One of the things we’re more proud of than anything,” Flanders said, “is we have a professional internship program that’s second to none. What we do is absolutely stellar.”

Students must complete an application, provide references, undergo psychological screening and, once accepted, attend a class for credit called Service in Global Contexts before their internship. e class, which professors tailor to the students’ specific destinations, helps prepare them for the cultural changes they will experience and covers such topics as handling stress, spiritual discernment and formation, and the nature of the gospel.

After the internship, students debrief with missions faculty to help the program adjust its offerings for next year – a process so unique Green has written a book about how to do it. “e kind of mentoring that goes on between Gary Green, Larry Henderson (’74) [missions coordinator for Asia, Bible, missions and ministry] and the students is truly outstanding,” Flanders said.

“It puts the students in a place to succeed.” e program works with about 60 potential locations, Green said, from places as diverse as Rwanda, Estonia, Cambodia

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and the United States. Usually about half are unavailable because of missionary furloughs, political unrest or other unavoidable circumstances. e type of work has grown, as well.

A decade ago, most of the sites were church plants; today, they still include new churches, Green said, but also agriculture, sports ministry, orphanages and anti-trafficking ministries.

“Every year we do some things that are unique to this program,” he said.

“We’re always changing what we’re offering and where we’re offering it.”

Students learn to be flexible – as evidenced by Seth Bouchelle’s experience.

Bouchelle (’13), who graduated in May with a degree in missions and biblical text, had prepared in Spring 2011 to intern in the West African nation of Burkina Faso.

However, a military mutiny led to a change of plans; the team instead chose Melbourne, Australia, perhaps as far as possible culturally from West Africa. e three students worked with three Melbourne congregations in a significantly secular society.

“It was on point for what we’re trying to do,” said Bouchelle, who plans to move to the Bronx with his wife, Carey (Cox ’13), next year to plant churches. “It was a good look for us at the strengths and weaknesses of traditional church methods in a post-Christian, urban setting.” e team made close friendships with their host congregations – so close that two friends Bouchelle made in Australia were groomsmen in his wedding last summer.

“I don’t know if we had any impact on them,” Bouchelle said of the congregations with whom the team worked, “but they had a huge effect on all three of us.”

WorldWide Witness provides an experience well beyond the typical high school missions trip or short-term service project, Bouchelle said, because it focuses on pushing students beyond their comfort zones.

“For the most part, you have to be out there in the culture,” he said. “You have to be fully present because you don’t have anyone else to fall back on. It makes you be vulnerable to the people around you, and it allows them to bless you.”

Even in an English-speaking country such as Australia, the cultural differences provided a taste of what full-time missions work would be like, he said.

“We spent eight weeks with a family in Australia as learners,” Bouchelle said.

“We got to live in a way in which you see what missions is about every day – in small, ordinary ways working for the kingdom of God. It’s a blessing to be able to see the fuller spectrum than you see in the one-week trip.”

And in a radically different setting, the orphanages and baby homes of Zimbabwe, Caroline Nikolaus found her calling, as well.

She worked at a government-run facility, a rural home run by an elderly woman and a boarding school for disabled children, and she enjoyed the experience so much, she has returned to Africa this summer, working with a recently opened orphanage in Tanzania.

Cassandra Tamez (red shirt), a 2008 graduate, walks with children and students from other universities through Bo Kaeo Village in the Samoeng District of northern Thailand.

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Leah (Feemster ’12) Sutphen relaxes with a friend at the Agape Home in northern Thailand.

I fell in love with the kids. We made great relationships there. i still talk to them, almost daily sometimes.

-Caroline Nikolaus

e Zimbabwe internship confirmed Nikolaus’ belief that she should be in long-term missions.

“It was the longest missions trip I’ve ever been on,” she said. “It was a huge eye-opener for me. I realized that could be an opportunity for me in my future, and that was kind of a big deal for me.”

She and her teammates organized sleepovers for the children, giving them their first taste of foods and activities many American children take for granted, such as pizza and miniature golf.

“I fell in love with the kids,” Nikolaus said. “We made great relationships there. e friends we made there, I still talk to them, almost daily sometimes.”

One of those children was Ano. For weeks Nikolaus worked to develop the baby girl’s trust. Finally, after a month, she let Nikolaus hold her. “e first time she let me pick her up,” Nikolaus said, “it was cool to see what we’re doing affected a small child. In those moments, you’re glad you’re there.”

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ACU TODAY

B Y K AT I E N O A H G I B S O N

I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y J E F F R O G E R S

Giambattista Bodoni would be proud.

Two hundred years ago, the Italian designer was practicing his craft of creating typography that was art as well as an essential form of communication. Two centuries later, some talented young artists with ACU degrees are making their own headlines while exploring and enriching their work with tipografia, as Bodoni would have called it.

Every student in ACU’s Department of Art and Design learns the fine art of using fonts and letter styles in their work. Some go further, immersing themselves in the intricacies of

See Bonus Coverage at acu.edu/acutoday

letterforms, fine-tuning the rare eye for detail they require, even designing their own fonts.

That’s not surprising, considering Bodoni – the namesake of an extensive library of fonts he created – also was a bit of a hyper-perfectionist himself. He went on to become known as the father of modern type styles.

Today, everything old is new again, with hand-crafted lettering inspired by sign painters and dynamic new fonts inspired as much by old masters as futurists. The playful layouts and typography of Jeff Rogers (’02) were featured by fast food giant McDonald’s in a national TV campaign in 2012, while other young ACU alumni have been spotlighted on industry blogs and in books showcasing the rising new stars of design.

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MARK ANDERSON

lthough he had a hard-earned degree in graphic design from ACU, Jeff Rogers (’02) found himself playing drums on tour with budding country music star Aaron Watson (’00) following graduation.

A former music major who transferred to ACU from the University of North Texas, Rogers took up graphic design “because,” he said, “I thought I should ‘learn the computer’ if I wanted to make a living as an artist.”

After a year of playing with Watson’s band, Rogers worked at several design firms in the Dallas/Fort Worth area before moving to New York City in 2008. His first job, at SpotCo, involved designing posters for Broadway shows.

“Working at SpotCo gave me some incredible experience with typography,” Rogers said. “I hadn’t painted much since I graduated from college. I had an opportunity to paint some type for a SpotCo project and after spending an all-nighter making that piece, I discovered I loved painting letters.

So I would come home from designing at SpotCo and paint and draw type.”

Rogers posted his typography work on his website, drawing attention from popular design blogs and websites, and eventually garnering calls from several prominent agencies. “Eventually,” he said, “I was getting so many calls I felt it was time to go full time on my own.”

While Rogers loves running his own business, he admits the lack of a steady paycheck can be a bit nerve-racking.

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“It’s also a little tough managing all the administrative work and trying to think like a businessman,” he said. “I’m running a business, so unfortunately, I can’t sit and make art all day. I have to be smart and strategic with my business. For an artist, that can be tough sometimes.”

But, he said, “I love the freedom of setting my own pace and reaping what I sow. If I work really hard on a project, it’s not because my boss says I have to, but because I have my own reason to do it. But I wouldn’t have been able to make it on my own without everything I learned during those years working for other people. It’s a process.”

In addition to his work designing theatrical posters, illustration and hand-drawn alphabets, Rogers’ work recently received a huge boost. While working on a freelance project for Nickelodeon, he received a call from marketing agency DDB about a McDonald’s ad campaign involving print, online and television components. “They wanted a lettering artist to create some type for a top-secret new product [Spicy Chicken McBites],” he says. “It took me a while to understand that they were looking for an artist to actually be in the television spot.

But when I got it, my brain exploded.”

Rogers flew to California to shoot the commercial, which involved him painting a colorful, hand-lettered mural on a wall.

“I did as much preparation as I could, but I couldn’t know how it would go until I actually put paint on the wall, which didn’t happen until two hours after we started filming,” he says. “I didn’t realize we would have to do all the product shots first –

S pu rmi m n ge -r S2u0m1 m 1 e䊱r 2A0C1U3 T䊱O DAAC YU T O D A Y

which meant chewing and spitting out a ton of McBites, while trying to be an actor.”

After shooting the TV spot, Rogers created the lettering and design for the campaign’s print ads and a Web feature.

“This was an amazingly fun project to be part of,” he said. “I really wanted to represent the community of designers that do custom lettering in the best way possible. It’s a small crew that I am really grateful to be a part of.”

Rogers also is grateful to be a part of the ACU community, which prepared him and continues to provide industry networking opportunities.

“The focus on fine art as well as design in ACU’s art and design department gave me a big advantage in the industry,” he said.

“I appreciate that the program helps students understand things like drawing, painting and art history and how they relate to graphic design. Also, the ACU family stretches far and wide. Most of the jobs I’ve had, even in New York City, have been related to some ACU connection.”

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“Typography is the cornerstone of design, but it is often not appreciated. Being able to take those simple shapes that have so much meaning, and make them more beautiful or make them stand out in a certain way, is very pleasing,” he says.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say I found my niche, but that it found me.”

After graduation, Feerer earned his M.F.A. at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. While there, he worked for the interactive agency Funny Garbage, whose clients included Nickelodeon, Teen Nick, PBS Kids, Smithsonian and Disney.

A native Texan, he eventually returned to Abilene to teach at ACU, continuing his freelance design business on the side.

Feerer’s designs include custom logos, product packaging, wedding invitations and typography.

He often collaborates with other ACU graduates, as when he designs album art for folk group The Rocketboys (composed mostly of fellow alumni). Feerer also has worked with Abilene Design Co., or Abidesco, a group of current and former Abilenians who have collaborated on various design projects. His work was recently featured on adobe.com’s Design Center,

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or Ryan Feerer (’05), now an instructor of art and design at ACU, the road to graphic design was a winding one.

“Coming to ACU as a student, I wanted to be a computer animator,” he said.

“I knew nothing about design and what made it good or bad. I could pick up a product in a store and tell if it was good, but understanding what made it good and effective was the difficult part. ACU helped me learn and appreciate the fundamentals of art and design.”

Part of that learning was Feerer’s gradual realization that design is ubiquitous.

“Almost everything we see or interact with on a daily basis has been designed by someone,” he said. “Realizing that each of those items requires a certain solution or approach initially sparked my interest in design. Whether we are trying to convey a message, a feeling or some other purpose, someone needs to design it.”

Feerer’s interest in design messages, as well as his love of vintage lettering, led him to typography.

designworklife.com, oneminutewith.com, and among 100 of the world’s top designers in Typography Sketchbooks.

Last fall, Feerer added restaurateur to his resume when he launched Abi-Haus, a hip new American restaurant in downtown Abilene, with co-owner James Jackson.

Feerer designed the restaurant’s branding, including its logo, typeface, menus, exterior signage, and interior walls covered with custom chalk art. Before opening the space, he invited fellow New York designers Jeff Rogers (’02) and Dana Tanamachi to spend a few days drawing on the interior walls with him. The restaurant’s menu, environmental graphics and layout are all designed to foster creativity and community.

“My goal has always been to create timeless work that never gets uninteresting or dated,” Feerer said of his work at Abi-Haus and elsewhere. “This is extremely hard to accomplish. But it’s nice to do what you love and have people approach you to do it for money. And I love doing something new every day, with every project. It’s never boring.”

Advertising & Design (Milwaukee, Wisc.), and most recently, ADC Young Guns 9 – a global competition recognizing top design talent whose work is then featured in a New York City art exhibit.

His handiwork also can be seen around his alma mater on logos for the Big Purple Marching Band, several academic centers, donor recognition societies, and the Study Abroad program.

“My work has always been graphic and bold,” he said. “I can trace that style back to what I was drawn to visually when I was growing up. After a while, it’s easy to tell what you’re good at. It’s just a matter of paying attention and recognizing it, then spending lots of time practicing it.”

At ACU, Couchman learned that lesson about practice over and over again.

“ACU helped me understand that to get really good, I had to work hard,” he said. “It took more than just going to class.

To excel, I had to put in extra work outside of the classroom and really experiment and play to push myself.

“During my last few semesters at ACU, I was in the design lab almost every night into the morning hours, working on

BRENT COUCHMAN

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ike most designers, I was drawing at an early age,” said Brent Couchman (’05), who now runs his own design and illustration business in San Francisco, Calif.

He progressed from childhood sketches to doodling band logos on his school notebooks, and, he says, his passion for design has grown ever since.

After graduating from ACU, Couchman began his career at Range, a Dallas-based communications company. He then spent three years as an in-house designer for apparel company Fossil, creating designs for product logos, labels, advertising campaigns, packaging and other projects.

He moved to San Francisco in 2010 to work at Hatch Design, where he stayed for nearly two years before hanging out his own shingle.

Couchman’s eye-catching designs employ clean lines and bold colors, two of his signature elements. They have been featured by AIGA, Art Directors Club, Communication Arts, Print, Graphis, The Eisner American Museum of

design projects – probably to the detriment of my other classes, but I guess things have turned out OK.” While Couchman enjoys the freedom to choose his own clients and projects, he misses the camaraderie of an office environment with colleagues. “I miss being around co-workers,” he said. “Part of my inspiration comes from bouncing ideas off other creatives and seeing what they’re working on. I’m in the process of finding a shared studio space here in San Francisco to get back into that type of environment.”

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perused the course catalogs for upcoming semesters, the stars seemed to align.

“I saw God’s blessing at that moment,” Alcantara said. ”As far as any of my advisors remembered, the graphic design classes I needed to graduate had never lined up like they did that year. I took this as a sign and went with it. I finally felt at home in my studies.”

After spending his senior year in his new department, Alcantara interned for Fossil in Richardson, Texas, then worked with Inprov, a Southlake-based Christian company providing marketing and development services to non-profits. He then applied to several Master of Fine Arts programs in graphic design, including one at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he began his studies in 2010. Thanks to

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lthough Rolando Gutierrez Alcantara (’08) began his studies at ACU as a biology major, he eventually realized he might be happier in a different field.

“Drawing all over my biology books was taking up most of my study time,” said the Mexico native.

Alcantara also was involved with ACU’s International Students Association (ISA), which produces Ethnos, the annual culture show. While serving as ISA’s advertising director, Alcantara created print graphics and trailer videos for Ethnos. As he discovered a love for graphics and video, he changed his major to electronic media, eventually realizing he wanted to make the switch to graphic design.

By then, Alcantara was nearing his senior year, and it was too late to change his major entirely. But former registrar Dr. David Merrell (’64) helped him create a tailored, interdisciplinary degree incorporating the biology classes he’d taken, as well as a number of graphic design courses. As they

his professors at MICA, he discovered a deep love of typography and fonts.

“For more than a year I was knee-deep in letters: typography, type design, lettering and font fabrication were revolving around my head daily, as I tried to figure out what exactly I wanted to dive into for my M.F.A. thesis,” Alcantara said. “Finally, I arrived at Mutable Typography, a study of actively changing letterforms.” After presenting his thesis, which included hand-designing several complete alphabets of mutable type, Alcantara represented MICA at AIGA NY’s Fresh Blood event, and was later interviewed

by Print magazine about his work. Several other interviews and publications followed.

Mike Wiggins (’93) has a reputation for relentless perfectionism, an attribute that serves him well as associate professor and chair of ACU’s Department of Art and Design. Years of experience in ad agencies and as a freelance designer help him teach students the value of extra effort, teamwork and developing an eye for detail.

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Alcantara now works as a lead user experience designer at AT&T in Dallas, Texas. “I still love letters,” he said. “The beautiful thing about design is that once you acquire the skills to be a designer, you can apply those skills to a variety of subjects.

I refuse to stand still, so I’m diving into and learning about the world of UX/UI (user experience/user interface) design.”

He credits his ACU experience with his career direction, but also with many valuable lessons stretching far beyond the classroom.

“The most useful things I’ve learned for my career did not come from ACU’s classrooms, but from its campus,” he said.

“Everything that goes on at ACU, if you’re involved, will teach you a great valuable lesson. From events like Freshman Follies and Sing Song to living in the dorms and having a student job on campus, everything about ACU is designed to prepare students for what awaits us out here in the world.

“ACU is more than the lessons imparted in the classrooms,” he said.

“ACU is an experience that revolves around its students being successful in life.” 䊱

Ideally, what does a student earning a degree in graphic design at ACU need to know before they graduate?

By the time they graduate, graphic design majors have had several opportunities through regional and national competitions and juried exhibitions to see how their work compares. This often gives them the confidence to reach for highly competitive opportunities when they graduate.

Are you surprised by the kind of recognition your graduates receive?

Yes and no. It is remarkable to turn on the TV and see a former student in a national TV commercial, featured for skills that were nurtured here, or see colleagues’ work repeatedly featured on international websites and in journals.

At the same time, this notoriety is starting earlier and earlier. Just recently Allan Peters, a senior art director at Target with more than 7,000 Twitter followers, tweeted about how great some of our students’ work was. That builds confidence and energy among everyone in our program.

Wiggins

What gives ACU art and design grads an advantage in the marketplace or as they compete for entry to grad school?

They have a strong foundation in the fundamentals, a willingness to work hard and a collaborative spirit with their peers. We have a reputation for graduates who work well with others and are highly creative. We foster a culture in which our students are driven by the success of their peers as collaborators, not competitors. When they see their classmates producing beautiful work, I want their first thought to be,“I can learn something from them.”

How do you convince students to choose ACU and major in graphic design?

Mainly I try to communicate the culture so they can determine if it is a good fit. We want students who love working hard. The “working hard” part often weeds out those who don’t love doing it. Our faculty spend a lot of time with our students. It is a personal experience for everyone involved, which makes the success of our students all the more meaningful.

What would you like others to know about your department that they might not know otherwise?

On the surface, I would like them to know the amazing recognition our students earn on a regular basis in competitions, exhibitions and highly competitive internships. For example, the Dallas Society of Visual Communication hosts an annual national competition, and this year our students won 11 awards. Only three universities won more: Kansas, North Texas and Oklahoma State. To compete and win among some of the top schools gives us a lot of satisfaction.

But more important than awards, I want people to know what kind of environment we are trying to develop. Our goal is a culture where students are compelled to develop skills, knowledge and character that prepare them to lead with great integrity and humility.

From dinnerware for Disney to wedding invitations for NFL quarterbacks, young ACU artists and designers are known by the expertise they bring to making special occasions distinctive, fun and memorable. Meet a few of them in our online-only addition to this story.

See Bonus Coverage at acu.edu/acutoday

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From dinnerware for Disney to wedding invitations for NFL quarterbacks, several young ACU artists and designers are known by the expertise they bring to making special occasions distinctive, fun and memorable.

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agencies, Reeves began designing wedding invitations for friends on the side. “That led me to my current business. It seemed much more fun to me than annual reports,” she said.

The wedding design industry was growing when Reeves launched her business, and demand for custom invitations was rising. “At first, I cold-called event planners and wedding planners and showed them my work,” she said. “One hired me on the spot for two upcoming projects. We are still collaborating 10 years later on a range of projects, from corporate galas to non-profit fundraisers to weddings across the country.

The Lord has opened all the doors, truly.”

Of course, Reeves’ work carries challenges along with the fun. “Custom design clients are looking for a high level of personal service,” she said. “Vendors also need constant communication, so it's

STEPHEN KARLISCH

or Alyssa (Waitt ’97) Reeves, choosing a favorite part of her job is tough. As the owner of Paradise Design Company, a Dallas-based custom stationery firm, she enjoys the creative and technical aspects of her job.

“I love delighting my clients – seeing their reaction when I've captured their vision and put it on paper,” said Reeves, who founded her company in 2003. “But I also love the production aspect – figuring out new or unusual ways to incorporate production techniques.”

A lifelong artist, Reeves earned her degree in graphic design from ACU, but realized the need for a “semi-practical” career after graduation. While working as a designer and art director at several ad

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challenging to do both things well and find time to actually design. Knowing when to include the client and when to make executive decisions also is a constant balancing act.”

Despite the challenges, Reeves loves her work and credits her ACU training for giving her the confidence to stand behind her designs. “That comes in handy when you’re trying to sell your work,” she said.

Reeves has recently expanded her business to include several stationery lines, calling the new division Paradise Papers.

She now sells a range of notecards, notepads, holiday cards and “tinies” – small, bright business-card-size pieces with their own envelopes. Many of her brightly colored products feature Texas icons, such as cowboy boots, horses, guitars and a silhouette of the Lone Star State.

Her custom design, however, is still the backbone of her business.

Reeves’ invitations, including the ones she designed for the wedding of New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning and Abby McGrew, have been featured in magazines including Town & Country Weddings, The Knot, Inside Weddings, Dallas Brides and Dallas Weddings.

Dallas Cowboys’ fans will feel better knowing her most recent project for a NFL quarterback was much closer to home: wedding invitations for Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo and his bride, Candice Crawford.

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GARETT AND JESSICA MAYFIELD O K L A H O M A C I T Y, O K L A H O M A

curate a card line and additional wedding suites focusing on that style,” he added.

Both Garett and Jessica enjoy the relational aspect of custom design, which is an expression not only of the Mayfields’ style but also of the client’s. “You have to listen, get to know them, and then pour a bit of yourself into a design that helps them be expressive. We’re continually learning and growing, because of the shops and clients with whom we interact,” Jessica said.

Last year, the Mayfields took a big leap when they signed up for the National Stationery Show in New York City, an annual trade show featuring more than 800 exhibitors. “It was important to have a curated line to stand out in that crowd,” Garett said. “We dedicated every waking moment to building our stationery lines, which included some seriously unglamorous work just so we could pay to live and pay to make it to the show. The show was such a huge financial investment: we knew if we failed, we would have to move on from this dream. However, this risk made us work harder than we’ve ever worked before.”

Their success at the show, as well as dozens of satisfied customers, has helped the Mayfields reach a more stable place with their business. They attended the show again

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ike the other designers featured in these pages, Garett (’09) and Jessica (Hopkins ’10) Mayfield are making their mark by hand.

Specifically, hand-lettering.

After earning their degrees from ACU (Garett in graphic design and Jessica in advertising and public relations) in 2009, the couple launched Wednesday Custom Design, their Oklahoma City-based business. On their website, they explain, “Wednesday is the result of a big dream, concocted in a tiny apartment, by two complete opposites, who happen to like great design and each other a whole lot.”

Although their personalities, work styles and aesthetic senses differ, the combination is proving successful. Wednesday products are currently sold in the nationwide shop Terrain and available in stationery boutiques in 15 states, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada.

When the couple started out, “we spent a lot of time exhausting ourselves, trying to be everything to everyone,” Garett said. As they experimented with various products, the consistent best-sellers among brides and at stationery shops were products featuring hand lettering. “This feedback has helped us

this year, and their work has recently appeared in Anthology and Sweet Paul magazines, as well as on various stationery and design blogs. In February, they returned to campus to speak about their journey as part of the Entrepreneur Speaker Series at the Griggs Center in ACU’s College of Business Administration.

Through the challenges of establishing both a marriage and a business, the Mayfields have drawn on the foundation they formed during their time in Abilene.

“ACU instilled a value for integrating our faith, community and careers,” Garett said.

“We still have a piece of paper with some goals we wrote down when we began dreaming about owning our own business, right after graduating. We didn’t know what our business would be or who we’d become, but the foundational truths we wrote down on that paper are as important today as they were three years ago. We want to serve God, serve each other, and serve God’s people through our business.”

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darbie angell G E O R G E TOW N, T E X A S

A touch of whimsy Her elegant, sometimes whimsical designs are featured in a number of magazines, including Veranda, Brides, Bridal Guide, Elle Décor and Martha Stewart Weddings. CRÜ creations have been shown on national TV, most recently on Katie Couric’s talk show, Katie. Her pieces also have found their way onto some famous tabletops, including those of film star Leonardo DiCaprio, NFL football player Andre Gurode and President Barack Obama – not bad for a stay-at-home mom turned entrepreneur.

The rising design star’s newest creations will be sold under the Walt Disney brand and will be available in Bed Bath & Beyond stores beginning in July. Angell’s Just After Midnight collection features bands of platinum on a pale blue background mirroring the simple elegance she attributes to Princess Cinderella. Her Bubbles from the Grotto line radiates clusters of bubbles you might find under the sea and is inspired by the Magic Kingdom’s Princess Ariel.

Angell says she hopes to introduce one new Princess line a year, following Disney’s schedule of letting a princess movie out of the vault each year.

impression that they needed to persuade me to design and co-brand with them,” she said.

“Boy, were they ever wrong. This was truly my dream come true.”

Robert Oberschelp, head executive of Disney Collections, was part of that first conference call.

“He wanted to fly us out immediately and compared us to top designers such as Hermes, which was clearly his way of sweet-talking us to get us there quickly,” Angell said with a laugh. “My brother, who has been a huge part of CRÜ and is my right-hand guy, was just as eager to get there. So we flew out and met with the most creative, ingenious group of people I have ever been around.”

The CRÜ team met with Oberschelp; Debbie Chang, senior manager of Disney Products; Karen Torpey, senior manager of Disney Global; and Jason Stewart, Disney’s executive creative director.

“Going into that first meeting was a dream,” Angell said. “The office walls were turned into floor-to-ceiling inspiration boards. You would see flat-screen TVs showing deleted scenes from movies such as Bambi, and the stairwells were turned into Alice falling down the hole in Alice in Wonderland.

“I still could not wrap my mind around the fact that they wanted me and felt that I needed to impress them. We had our normal setup with lavish treats and drinks for them, only to have a lady come in and ask us if we would like espresso and to take our orders from their list of lavish treats,” she said.

“The rest of the meeting continued the same way, with both groups going back and forth trying to woo each other.”

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Angell’s fairy-tale partnership with Disney began with a phone call out of the blue in November 2011.

“I felt as if they were under the

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he didn’t wish upon a star, but it took hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit to make the dreams of Darbie Angell (’03) come true.

And they have, in a big way.

Angell’s company, CRÜ Dinnerware, recently entered into a lucrative partnership with Disney that has swept her into a magical world of creating designs for the global entertainment giant.

The Georgetown native, whose passion for art was kindled at ACU, launched her company in 2008 when she was put on bed rest during a pregnancy. In the four years since, her dinnerware collections have been picked up by such major retailers as Dillard’s, Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond – and now Disney.

The result of the meeting was an agreement for Angell to design dinnerware for two Disney groups: the Fairytale Wedding and Princess teams.

Making the world a better place Like any successful entrepreneur, Angell hopes her company will continue to flourish. But her dreams go beyond commercial success. She also wants to make the world a better place.

The sales of some of her products support orphanages in South America, and her plates are made at a factory in Bangladesh that feeds its employees three meals daily.

The story of a 14-year-old leukemia victim prompted Angell to design Madison’s April in New York, a collection named after the victim, and to donate a portion of the sales to pediatric cancer research. She partners with UNICEF to dig water wells in third-world countries. And she invites visitors to her website to suggest other worthy causes her company might support.

Inspired by ACU’s art and design program She believes her time at ACU helped shape her into the entrepreneur and person she is today, and is amazed by how far her art and design education has taken her.

“Looking back on where I started in art class with Jack Maxwell (’78), afraid of drawing a leaf and getting to this point to have the confidence to share my thoughts and designs with the most creative people in the world, is nothing short of God truly being at work in all of this,” she said.

“I think ACU gave me something that is not in a class: strength that is needed to make it over obstacles that look impassable, the drive to make a difference in the world and, most importantly, amazing Christian friends who support me and also keep me in line,” she said.

That might be as good a “happily ever after” as any fairy tale ever knew. 䊱 – ROBIN SAYLOR

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Q&A MIT chaplain Dr. Robert Randolph Dr. Robert M. Randolph (’62) was charged with being “guardian of the core values” when he became the first chaplain to the institute at Boston’s world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September 2007, in a ceremony representative of the varied religious and non-religious strands of thought at MIT. He has been an important part of student life at MIT since 1978, organizing and founding what is now known as Student Support Services. He is a housemaster in Bexley Hall along with his wife, Jan (Randolph ’64). Prior to MIT, he was a chaplain, an inner-city minister, a director of residence, and an instructor in history. He has degrees from ACU, Pepperdine University, Yale University, Brandeis University, and the Andover Newton Theological School. His role was brought into sharper focus in April when MIT police officer Sean Collier was killed in the line of duty by two Boston Marathon bombing suspects who were being pursued by law enforcement authorities.

prayer. On Thursdays we begin with an early discussion of those involved in the life of the campus, meeting to connect dots and talk through current crises. Attendees include the chair of the faculty, several deans, mental health professionals and ombudsfolk.

Each day unfolds differently but they seldom end before dinner time. I spend time with students, talk through issues with chaplains, read and write as appropriate and needed. My assistant keeps me focused. The role of the chaplain is composed of equal parts counseling, resource to the community, symbolic presence at affairs of the institute, pastoral care and the monitoring of interfaith interactions.

How does an institution such as MIT balance faith and science, two subjects that don't always mesh well at a secular university?

A good question, but the answer is somewhat counter-intuitive.

The academy, like the church, is a conservative institution despite What led MIT to create the new role of chaplain to the institute its embrace of the speculative and its search for the new. in 2007, nearly 150 years after its founding in 1861?

The academy does not like conflict Creating a chaplain to the institute role so it shies away from issues that involve concluded a process begun in 1955 when the MIT “When I began my academic conflict. When I began my academic Chapel was built. The thought then was to have a career, chaplains were the thorn in the career, chaplains were dean of the chapel such as they have at Duke flesh of college administrators. Remember University, but nothing came of it. the thorn in the flesh of the work of William Sloan Coffin at Yale Over the last few years many had noticed college administrators.

University and his efforts to bring the that religious concerns continued to be part of a Vietnam war to an end? Remember Remember the work of student’s maturation process during the college the role of chaplains in the civil rights years. For a long time the notion had been that William Sloan Coffin movement? College administrators are religion was decreasing in importance in the wary of chaplains and should be because at Yale University larger culture, but those of us working on college they answer to a higher authority. campuses knew that the topic was, if anything, and his efforts to bring At the same time, some chaplains gaining in importance. are unable to do their work unless they the Vietnam war to an end?

MIT had built a Religious Activities Center an enemy to attack. It has been my (RAC) in 1995; I had been involved in that project Remember the role of chaplains have experience that chaplains have free rein and I suggested in 2007 that it was time for in the civil rights movement? to do their work with students and are someone to be given responsibility for the various expected to challenge the orthodoxies of College administrators are chaplaincies on campus. The appointment of the academy. But that means you are going someone in-house who had requisite training and wary of chaplains and should to have to understand the orthodoxies was known by the community made my choice and not be afraid of criticism, and you be because they answer for the role easier to sell to the community. are going to have to be in the work for to a higher authority.”

How do you interface with such a diverse long haul, not simply to hit and run.

Board of Chaplains at MIT, which includes – DR. ROBERT M. RANDOLPH How do the pastoral skills you representatives of 23 religions and other have learned as a longtime church faith groups of the world? leader help you in this role?

When we built the RAC, we established a Board of Chaplains Brookline Church of Christ, the congregation where I serve, to vet those appointed to be chaplains at MIT. Training had to has not had elders for a long time, but I have been a leader there be appropriate for the tradition represented and, once vetted, the since 1967. Sometimes I serve on the Steering Committee of the new chaplain would be appointed by the president of the institute. congregation, set up to deal with the business issues of the church, Living together in shared space was a test of collegiality and worked sometimes I serve as a minister to the church, and sometimes as well, but the chaplains still reported only to their sending tradition. both. Now I am an elder in terms of age.

Now, with my appointment, we had a structure for accountability.

Skills that come from church involvement transfer easily to My role is not to tell chaplains how to do their work but rather the academy.

Both institutions are very resistant to change and to help them get the work done they have laid out to do. Chaplains both have hierarchies that look out for the status quo. Efforts to do their best work when they pay attention to the students they lead demand a commitment to the long term and a willingness are called to serve rather than to issues beyond the institute. to take partial success rather than expect complete victory.

What is a typical work week like?

The care of the community is critical and the ability to listen and not react is assumed.

A typical week may include meeting with students who are Given that our tradition is cerebral rather than emotional, planning to marry. I will officiate at 10-20 weddings a year. Usually I often find myself seeking solutions rather than acting on emotions; Monday is a quiet day, Tuesday begins in the chapel at 8:30 for our that is not a bad style for an institute of technology.

Tuesdays in the Chapel, which is a time of centering, reflection and

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“At 4 p.m. I have a wedding rehearsal.

Maybe that is the way to derive meaning from days like today.

Look evil in the eye, affirm your love for one another and step forward. That takes a courage that can banish fear.”

What were the days and nights like immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing in April?

They were surreal. We planned a memorial service on the Wednesday after the bombing. Publicity was slight and when I asked why, I was told there was concern that we not have a large public service since we had not identified the bombers. I scoffed, believing the bombers were far away, and I was wrong. They were less than a mile from where the service was held. Thursday night we learned where they were.

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

What was your role in assisting the family of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who was slain during the manhunt in April?

I deferred to the police chaplain, who worked closely with Sean’s family.

Seventy-five to 100 members of the family attended the funeral service on our campus. There were nearly 12,000 people in attendance overall.

My role in the service was ceremonial, and my role in the community was pastoral. The challenge in such a moment is to meet the broad needs of the community while also remaining focused on the needs of those closest to the tragedy, such as the police on campus.

– DR. ROBERT M. RANDOLPH April 19, 2013 Blogging the day a manhunt began near his hometown to find those responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing four days earlier.

What kind of positive conversations have been opened on your campus as a result of the tragedy?

The religious services held by faith traditions have had a lot of conversations about issues raised by Sean’s death. The basic learning has been to understand that there is no such thing as safety in a world like ours.

At the same time, how could God have allowed the sort of tragedy we went through, or for that matter, the sort of tragedy the folk in West, Texas, went through? These are challenging questions and they are not unfamiliar to those of us in the chaplaincy.

What of your ACU experience makes a difference in your life?

Abilene Christian opened my eyes to the wider world.

ACU sent me to Pepperdine, Yale, Brandeis, Andover-Newton and MIT. ACU taught me the value of good, faithful mentors who were not frightened by youth or questions. ACU gave me friends who have been with me since I was a freshman, and ACU helped me find a companion to spend my life with who is not afraid to remind me when I am being foolish.

How do Boston’s many colleges and universities enrich congregational life at Brookline Church of Christ?

Whenever there are large groups of young adults coming and going in a congregation, you are blessed with gifts that may be used for the glory of God or simply to remind you of the energy of youth.

Young people are by definition becoming, and so it is unusual that one church will attract them all, but those that we do attract make an enormous difference in our community. Right now we have a good number of folk from ACU who participate in the life of the congregation.

The late Dr. LeMoine Lewis (’36), beloved longtime ACU theology professor, helped Brookline Church of Christ thrive in the 1940s, when it relocated from the Harvard University campus. In which ways do you still sense his legacy there today?

LeMoine taught us not to be afraid of big questions and not to be afraid of those who were afraid. I feel his presence often and remember many of his stories reminding us that the work of the church was to serve. He believed that, and he lived it.

When the church janitor, a man of limited intellectual ability, died in 1985, LeMoine came back to preach his funeral because he knew a child of God had gone home, and he wanted the family to know that the people of God mourned his death. You do not forget lessons like that, and Brookline remains a place where we live that kind of faith. 䊱

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Down River TO T HE

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Two of the gems in Brown Library archives are collections documenting baptistry murals, many painted by an unlikely messenger of biblical truth

toPray STORY BY RON HADFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY ENLOW

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For a woman

who grew up in 20th-century America, Blanche Garrett Perry had an extraordinary ministry to brethren in Churches of Christ, many of whom frowned upon the voice of anyone in a place of worship who was not a male. In Brown Library’s Special Collections, a fascinating collection of three decades of handiwork shows how her faith spoke loudly and was seen in plain view. Here is a look at a resourceful, selfless woman whose mastery of a unique art form shaped a generation of Stone-Campbell Christians and their vision of New Testament baptism.

Most older Church of Christ buildings were devoid of paintings or photography, so for many, a baptistry mural was the only artistic representation to be found. Local artists or members of the congregation frequently were called to paint a scene on the wall at the front of the auditorium, usually portraying a symbolic river or other body of water. Some murals were always visible, while others were covered by curtains and revealed only for baptisms.

On the preceding pages, a mural by Perry is still a visual focus in the auditorium of the Anson (Texas) Church of Christ.

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“A

ll my life I had wondered how

I could glorify God with a talent,” admitted Blanche Perry, an artist who was equal parts painter and preacher in a manner few ever realized.

She was born in 1890, orphaned at about age 10 and raised by family members who were pillars in the Church of Christ in Mount Willing, Ala. Her Bible knowledge and reverence for God were formed early, even as tuberculosis was taking a toll on her health. By 1924, Blanche – married to Andrew Perry and the mother of two children – was near death and admitted to a sanitorium for low-income TB patients in Denver, Colo.

“Nearly five years I was a bed patient, and five more were spent as a semi-invalid,” she said. “By the grace of God I did not die.

He gave me healing according to His divine will.”

Her interest in art was fostered as a child by her parents, and furthered while attending Southern Female College for Girls in LaGrange, Ga. When a building for the Sherman Street Church of Christ in Denver was constructed in 1934, she was asked to paint a baptistry scene for it. e experience changed her life.

“I painted that picture alone and accidentally painted into it a perfect dove-shaped cloud hovering over the water,” she wrote in her autobiography.

“When it was brought to my attention that I had represented in the picture the sun, cross, and the dove, symbols of the Holy Trinity, and the three that bear witness, the spirit, water and blood, I realized that a door was opened to me to preach

Blanche Perry kept meticulous notes in hand-written journals about her projects and correspondence with churches.

More of her paintings were done for congregations in Colorado than any other state.

Many of Perry’s scrapbooks feature photographs of church members standing outside the meeting house in which her murals were displayed.

See more of the Jack Welch and Blanche Perry collections in our Bonus Coverage at acu.edu/acutoday

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the gospel in a peculiar way, and a means whereby I could glorify God, with paintings of those visible evidences of His creation. … e thought of painting baptistries from coast to coast never entered my mind.

Now each picture I paint unfolds lovely thoughts found in the Bible in types, figures and symbols.”

From the 1930s to 1960s, Perry painted baptistry scenes for more than 200 churches across North America, Canada and the Philippines, most accompanied by a personal letter explaining the religious symbolism and scriptures represented.

Perry refused payment for her murals, only charging churches for paint, supplies and postage required to mail each finished one to its destination. Sometimes she painted on site, but otherwise worked at home from measurements, photos and sketches sent to her by a representative of each congregation. She kept meticulous records in hand-written journals. If a congregation insisted on payment, she recommended it make a contribution to S.F. Timmerman, a nephew who was a missionary in Belgium and later, Canada.

Her 15th mural for a Texas congregation was her 185th overall: the Anson Church of Christ, 23 miles north of the ACU campus.

At 16 feet long and more than 12 feet wide, it is one of her largest, with water tumbling down a steep, rocky mountainside stream in a painting members have observed during church services since 1951.

Although she never duplicated a painting, Perry’s title for the Anson mural is like some others she painted: “e Word of God and e Elect Lady,” the latter a concept she traced to 2 John 1 and Ephesians 1:5. In a 1951 newspaper interview, she traced “e Word of God” to Zechariah 13:1 and to Isaiah 55:10-11: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” e scene was inspired by one she remembered of her view of 14,264-foot-tall Mount Evans from the Colorado sanatorium, and she said the form of a woman can be seen where the peaks meet the sky. Other symbols include a dove (Genesis 15:9 and Psalms 74:19), light (John 14:6), water (Revelation 22:17), rock (1 Corinthians 10:4), sun (Malachi 4:2) and a cross (Colossians 1:20). Such details are difficult to see while sitting in the auditorium and are best appreciated up close, something she likely planned to most benefit the person being baptized. e late Dr. Jack Welch, ACU professor of English who died in 1996 while on a missions trip to Russia, made the study of American baptistry paintings a hobby and academic expertise. A native of West Virginia, he shot 35mm color slides of those he found in Appalachian, and later, Texas churches. e Jack Welch Collection in ACU’s Brown Library includes 233 images of murals and the buildings in which they were found.

Welch divided Texas baptistry paintings into three broad categories.

Literal realism reflects paintings providing artistic insights into how Texas is viewed by local artists, while others represent some moral doctrine connected with baptism. A third category – symbolical mysticism – is “the most difficult and the most unexpected category of baptistry painting,” according to Welch, who saw Anson’s in that light.

“Not all Texas baptistry paintings have been documented and studied by scholars, but all have been viewed and experienced week after week in congregations and among people who have not even thought consciously about the power of the art that is among them,” Welch wrote. He lamented the loss of many murals, as churches have replaced them with projection screens or stained glass. anks to his research, the beauty of many of them lives on. e Jack Welch and the Blanche Perry collections reside in the Center for Restoration Studies, where journals, scrapbooks, sketches, photographs, correspondence and other artifacts reflect an artistic tradition, as well as an industrious, creative, forward-thinking woman who found her calling and her voice in the churches she loved to serve. 䊱

In the photo above, Perry stands in front of a painting completed on site at a church in Elk City, Okla.

Below is the mountainside stream seen in the Anson Church of Christ mural.

Jack Welch Collection: atla.com/digitalresources Blanche Perry Collection: wtda.alc.org/handle/123456789/51833

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Hand-written journals such this one for 1943 hold Blanche Perry’s running thoughts on a variety of subjects related to her personal and work life.

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Without the benefit of today’s color photography or digital editing tools, Blanche Perry documented her work for future reference with painstaking hours of additional illustration. Her scrapbooks are full of black-and-white prints – often of the murals following installation in a church building – on which she hand-tinted in color the details of her canvas paintings.

This one from 1940 appeared in a church in Old Hickory, Tenn., near Nashville.

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A Church of Christ in the Texas panhandle town of Borger, northeast of Amarillo, introduced its new baptistry mural to members with a letter in 1950. Minister E.N. McCoy’s church met in a building at Deahl Street and W. 2nd Street.

“My prayer is

[that] this picture will help you exalt God the Father and help you mirror Christ in your life as the water mirrors that which is above.”

– BLANCHE PERRY In a letter to the National and High Street Church of Christ in Springfield, Mo., in April 1939.

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lthough American churches

have not directly imitated ancient Christian church buildings in this regard, it’s interesting to observe that the oldest known Christian church building was located in Dura-Europos in Syria. is was a house church because in A.D. 230 when it is believed that the building was converted into Christian use, Christianity was illegal in the Roman empire.

In one room of this building, archeologists unearthed an ancient baptistry which had water marks on it indicating that about a meter of water was kept in the pool for baptisms.

Above this pool was a baptistry painting with water in the painting beginning at the water of the pool and flowing back into a body of water in the painting. Sheep are in and around the pool; reeds or rushes can still be discerned in the area of

the painting’s water. Above it all is a man with a sheep on his shoulders; he has short hair and is wearing a common Roman tunic.

He is the Good Shepherd, familiar in the Gospels and in early Christian art.

Although this primitive painting is not a direct ancestor of the American baptistry paintings, it provides a powerful precedent suggesting that religious and sociological factors which influenced the third-century church are still at work in the Texas churches.

CLARK POTTS

A

Dr. Jack Welch, an ACU English professor, died in 1996.

His collection of research papers and photography of baptistry murals can be found in Brown Library.

– From Dr. Jack Welch’s Texas Baptistry Paintings: Landscape, Doctrine, Mysticism

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“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” – PSALM 92:12-13 One of the scriptures Blanche Perry quoted as inspiration for her paintings.

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Perry’s scrapbooks include hand-tinted black-and-white photographs of murals she painted in 1940 for churches in Lawton, Okla. (above) and Coal Hill, Ark. (left).

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“May God bless

you and spare your life for many more years in service of such marvelous productions as this one and others you’ve painted.”

– P.D. WILMETH was a San Antonio evangelist who wrote this letter in November 1943 from Frederick, Okla., where he was conducting a gospel meeting on the same day one of Perry’s paintings was unveiled. He complimented Perry on her work and explained how it was presented that day in church. Perry received letters from others at the church as well.

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any Appalachian baptisms

previously took place in streams near the church buildings where the preaching and worship took place. If one has seen some of these baptisms – the congregation perhaps gathering around a natural pool at a swift-flowing stream, perhaps singing some hymns while the sun plays lightly on the trees and grasses – then one has known something of the aesthetic environment that has surrounded the baptism of thousands in the region. Some wanted to re-capture this aesthetic of the outdoors by bringing the outdoors inside through the medium of painting.

Closely connected with this impulse to re-create the outdoors is a controversy that existed in some churches in this [20th] century when people began to build baptistries indoors. Some preachers believed that baptism was valid only if it was done in running water. Jesus himself had been baptized in [the] Jordan, which was a free-running stream, and his disciples should do no less, the argument went. e paintings thus forged a little bridge in this controversy, providing at least a semblance of the desired free-running waters.

– From Dr. Jack Welch’s A Heritage of Regional Landscapes: Appalachian Baptistry Paintings

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The Church of Christ in Pocatello, Idaho, was established in 1916.

One of Blanche Perry’s murals appeared in the building in 1940.

A color version of it can be seen on the next two pages.

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Perry’s mural for the Church of Christ in Pocatello, Idaho, included images common in many of her paintings: trees, running water, a cloud in the shape of a dove, and a cross on a mountain in the distance.

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Perhaps by design, the details of Perry’s 185th mural that appears in the Anson Church of Christ (see pages 46-47) are best seen from inside the baptistry, such as her signature and date; a bird in flight; and the brush strokes expressing vibrant colors of a mountainside scene.

Jack Welch and Blanche Perry Collections: atla.com/digitalresources Blanche Perry Collection: wtda.alc.org/handle/123456789/51833

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS It’s almost time for Homecoming!

e can’t wait to see you Oct. 17-20. Whether it’s the football game, a social club breakfast or a reunion event, we will relive the memories and continue the legacy that makes ACU such a unique place.

If you’re in a class ending in “3” or “8,” join your old friends and make some new ones at your reunion.

If you’re a graduate or friend of ACU, bring your family and enjoy the Carnival, JamFest and fireworks; the Homecoming Musical; or just hang out on the campus we called – and still call – home.

Register online for reunions and the Homecoming Golf Classic at acu.edu/homecoming, check out the schedule to the right, and save this insert for easy reference in the weeks and months ahead.

See you soon for Homecoming 2013!

Shelley (Hall ’83) Beaver

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Beth Ann (Souder ’93) Fisher

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David Pittman (’03)

Schedule of Events Thursday,

OCTOBER 17

Gutenberg Dinner

Saturday,

OCTOBER 19

Social Club Breakfasts

Hunter Welcome Center, 6:30 p.m.

Various locations (See website for details)

Friday,

Parade OCTOBER 18

Around the perimeter of campus, 9:30 a.m.

Homecoming Chapel

Golf Classic

Diamondback Golf Course, 1510 E. Industrial Blvd., 9:30 a.m.

Chapel

Moody Coliseum, 10:45 a.m.

Football Game (ACU vs. University of Incarnate Word) Shotwell Stadium, 2 p.m.

Moody Coliseum, 11 a.m.

Reunion Celebrations

Carnival North lawn of the Williams Performing Arts Center, 5 p.m.

Various locations, 6 p.m.

Musical: Les Misérables

Jam Fest East Lawn of Hunter Welcome Center, 5:30 p.m.

Wildcat Sports Hall of Fame Celebration and Lettermen’s Reunion Dinner and Induction: Hunter Welcome Center, 6:30 p.m.

Lettermen’s Reunion: Hunter Welcome Center, 8 p.m.

Musical: Les Misérables Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 8 p.m.

Fireworks Show

Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 8 p.m.

Reunion Concert Hunter Welcome Center, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Sunday,

OCTOBER 20

Musical: Les Misérables Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 2 p.m.

East Lawn of Hunter Welcome Center, 8:15 p.m.

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Homecoming 2012

Photography by Lindsey Cotton, Mandy Lambert, Gary Rhodes, Britni Tatum and Paul White

ABOVE LEFT AND CENTER : Becca Clay (’14), escorted by her father, Randall Clay (’96) was named Homecoming Queen at halftime of the football game Saturday. Youngsters of all ages flocked to the climbing wall and inflatables at the carnival on Friday evening.

ABOVE RIGHT: Kate (Bailey) Crawford, Brian Crawford, Wendell Edwards, Meiko Edwards and Eleanor (Thompson) Bryant were among those who attended the Class of 1992 reunion dinner.

BELOW: Cody and Debbie Peterson, and Benjamin Blake joined classmates at the reunion dinner for the Class of 2002, one of nine classes to reunite around town on Saturday night.

ABOVE: The Wildcats drew a crowd of 7,200 to Shotwell Stadium for their football game with Midwestern State University.

BELOW LEFT AND CENTER: The parade included Prentis McCarty, inaugural King of Campus Court, and women’s social club Ko Jo Kai. BELOW RIGHT: Jackie (Bucher ’01) Washington was one of five inductees to the ACU Sports Hall of Fame. She was accompanied by her husband, George (’01) and sons George Jr., Jackson and Jayden.

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Selections of books written, edited, compiled or contributed to

by ACU alumni, faculty, staff and students

The BOOKCASE

Abilene Stories

Junior

FROM THEN TO NOW

By Ray N. Donley (’77) ISBN 978-1-938416-00-2 • 366 pages rivergrovebooks.com

Edited by Glenn Dromgoole, Jay Moore and Joe W. Specht ISBN 978-0-89112-368-2 • 320 pages acupressbooks.com One hundred memorable stories about Abilene, some authored by ACU icons Don H. Morris (’24), Dr. Max Leach (’31), Dr. John C. Stevens (’38), A.C. Greene (’48), Dr. Gary McCaleb (’64) and Garner Roberts (’70).

The Handbook of Communication and Corporate Reputation Edited by Craig E. Carroll (’95 M.A.) ISBN 978-0-470-67098-9 • 672 pages onlinelibrary.wiley.com The newest addition to Wiley-Blackwell’s series of handbooks on communication and media reflects the growing visibility of large businesses’ ethical profiles, and tracks the benefits that positive public attitudes can bring.

The Stone-Campbell Movement A GLOBAL HISTORY

By Dr. Douglas Foster, Dr. Newell Williams and Dr. Paul M. Blowers ISBN 978-0827235274 • 512 pages chalicepress.com Foster, professor of church history in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology and director of the Center for Restoration Studies, helped lead an eight-year effort encompassing the work of 11 church history scholars.

The Early Church and Today, Vol. 1 MINISTRY, INITIATION AND WORSHIP

By Dr. Everett Ferguson (’53) ISBN 978-0891125860 • 224 pages acupressbooks.com Ferguson, ACU’s LeMoine G. Lewis Professor Emeritus of Church History and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence, looks at church and ministry, baptism and initiation, demonology, worship and assembly, and church music.

Twelve Clean Pages

By Nika Maples (’96) ISBN 978-0983590712 • 279 pages shop.nikamaples.com/ Relive the inspiring story of Maples, who suffered a paralyzing stroke as a 20-year-old ACU sophomore, then overcame great odds to recover her health and become the 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year.

A novel, Junior recounts the amazing journey of Joshua Jennings Jr., who becomes an unwilling celebrity criminal when he is mistaken as the primary suspect in a terrorist bombing that kills the president, vice president and his own father.

The problem is, it’s a setup, and his dad is behind it all.

Slingin’ Sam THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE GREATEST QUARTERBACK EVER TO PLAY THE GAME

By Joe Holley (’68) ISBN 978-0-292-71985-9 • 368 pages tpress.utexas.edu Holley, a columnist for the Houston Chronicle, has written the first major biography of one of the greatest legends in football.

An all-America quarterback at TCU, “Sammy” Baugh revolutionized the forward pass while leading the Washington Redskins to five title games and two NFL championships.

Reflections On My Life IN THE KINGDOM AND THE ACADEMY

By Dr. Thomas H. Olbricht ISBN 978-1-60899-485-4 • 470 pages wipfandstock.com Olbricht, a beloved former theology professor at ACU, grew up in Churches of Christ, taught on the faculty of several universities, and preached/lectured on six continents. A scholar, mentor and Restoration Movement leader, he recounts his experiences in learning from and teaching others in a life committed to the advancement of theological education.

The Wealth of the Poor HOW VALUING EVERY NEIGHBOR RESTORES HOPE IN OUR CITIES

By Larry M. James ISBN 978-0-89112-380-4 • 288 pages acupressbooks.com The ACU adjunct professor and president/CEO of CitySquare (formerly Central Dallas Ministries), writes a memoir based on his 30 years of experience ministering to the inner-city poor of Dallas. CitySquare attacks poverty through its work in housing, hunger relief, health and the creation of hope.

Stealing the Preacher

By Karen (Gaskin ’93) Witemeyer ISBN 978-0-7642-0966-6 • 352 pages bethanyhouse.com On his way to interview at a church in Texas, Crockett Archer is forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man's daughter, Joanna, as the preacher she requested for her birthday.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister to breathe life back into the abandoned church in her community. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Can she convince him otherwise?

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Hilltop VIEW

Phillips Education Building dedicated

PAUL WHITE

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RENDI HAHN

Danny Phillips and his mother, Linda, stand near a portrait of Paul and Linda, namesakes of the Phillips Education Building.

Sculpture finishes The Ascension trailhead

One of the most serene trailheads on the two-mile-long Lunsford Foundation Trail received a new addition in December 2012, completing another dramatic contemplative public space provided by the family of Richard (’55) Lunsford and his late wife, Dema (Atkins ’57).

The Ascension, a trailhead located on Campus Court between the historic Hardin Administration Building and Sewell Theatre, now features a bronze sculpture depicting Christ ascending into heaven from a large pedestal, one of five limestone blocks with scriptures reminding visitors of “The Good News” of God’s plan to redeem mankind. (See pages 4-5.)

The 9-foot-5-inch, 800-pound sculpture is the work of Utah artist Dee Jay Bawden, who is well known for creating bronzes depicting Christ, in addition to various other religious and historical figures.

Dedicated in 2006, the trail encircles the campus and has become one of the most popular local outdoor exercise venues. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and other Abilenians each day use the scenic paved path, which features

PAUL WHITE

A transformation of one of the most historically versatile structures on campus was completed April 17, 2013, when the Phillips Education Building was dedicated in honor of Paul (’58) and Linda Phillips.

“My mom and dad, they devoted their lives to education,” said Danny Phillips (’81). “It makes perfect sense to honor mom and dad in this way.”

The dedication formalized a name change that has been in the works since late last year, when Danny and his wife, Carole (Hunter ’81), established the Phillips Family Endowed Scholarship for students preparing for careers in education.

Paul Phillips met Linda Brewer on the University of North Texas campus before he transferred to ACU, where he received bachelor’s and master’s (1963) degrees while also preaching for Churches of Christ across Texas. In 1964, he began a 24-year career at The University of Texas at Arlington, ultimately serving as chair of the UTA religion department.

The couple mentored and ministered to students at the UTA Church of Christ Student Center, which they led. Paul died in 2011.

Phillips Education Building was known as Catchings Cafeteria from 1955-68, when it became the Burford Music Center.

It was renovated as the Education Building in 2005 for the College of Education and Human Services and as a home for the Department of Teacher Education.

Q UOTABLE

For the latest, visit acu.edu/news facebook.com/abilenechristian twitter.com/ACUedu gplus.to/abilenechristian

strategically placed trailheads, Faubus Fountain Lake and scriptures etched along the way. The Lunsford family also provided The Quiet Place in the Mabee Business Building and in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building.

Alumni Reunion Chorus to meet Aug. 2-3

A new CD, I Am With You, will be recorded Aug. 2-3, 2013, when the Alumni Reunion Chorus gathers in the Williams Performing Arts Center.

The album will be its 18th since 1989, when the former members of the A Cappella Chorus and other singing ensembles began meeting every other summer for fellowship and to record albums to help raise money for vocal scholarships.

For more: acu.edu/alumnichorus

ACU Museum receives a makeover

The Jennings House, also known as the ACU Museum, has a fresh new look, thanks to window photo murals reflecting some of the history to be found inside.

Freelance graphic designer Greg Golden (’87) helped update the Women for Abilene Christian University facility with new signage and murals intended to give passersby a sense of the people and traditions celebrated in the 85-year-old landmark.

Murals portray university presidents and other major historical figures, as well as moments in history that have been preserved since WACU opened the museum in 1966. The house was built

by G.L. Jennings in 1928-29, and was the fifth in the area known as Abilene Heights.

Jennings owned an Oldsmobile dealership in town and served on ACU’s Board of Trustees. The university acquired the property in 1976 from the late Leao (’47) and Ellene (Jennings ’43) McDaniel, who lived next door for years.

The museum has four rental spaces for meetings and other events, and plans to offer coffee and refreshments at

“White people need to see inner-city people through a different set of eyes.”

“I have never found high academic standards a threat to faith or the church.”

– J. McDONALD WILLIAMS (’64) Dallas business leader and former ACU trustee, speaking to ACU students at a luncheon in the Hunter Welcome Center about the challenges and opportunities of urban revitalization in his community. Williams is chair of the Foundation for Community Empowerment and former CEO of Trammel Crow Company.

– DR. ABRAHAM J. MALHERBE (’54) Esteemed theology scholar and Buckingham Professor Emeritus of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School, during an interview with the Christian Chronicle in January 2002.

Malherbe, who inspired or taught a generation of Bible scholars in Churches of Christ, died in September 2012 at age 82 in Hamden, Conn. See story on page 78 and obituary on page 79.

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ACU BY THE NUMBERS The Jennings House today and circa 1929

JEREMY ENLOW

$39,000

Homecoming 2013 to those watching the parade from its prime spot at the corner of East North 16th Street and Campus Court.

For more: acu.edu/wacu

Bunch is magical match for Disney’s Belle

BRITTANY BUNCH

Several times a year, junior Brittany Bunch of Sunnyvale, Texas, heads to Orlando, Fla., where the psychology major is a “friend of Belle,” as Disneyworld refers to young women who help portray the co-star of Beauty and the Beast.

Bunch auditioned for the Disney College Program during her freshman year, and received an invitation to serve in an internship.

She was first trained to be “friends” with Winnie the Pooh and with Chip and Dale, before answering an audition call for Belle.

Texas legislators, ACU trustee, NYC artists, business execs among campus speakers

Summit on Jan. 2-8, 2013, in Buena Vista, Colo., included John Aden, executive vice president for Walmart General Merchandise; Stephen Quinn, Walmart’s chief marketing officer; Jarrod (’00) and Allison Brown of Mission Lazarus; Rick Atchley (’78), minister of The Hills Church in Richland Hills; Lisa Anderson, host of the national Boundless radio program; and marriage and family experts Greg and Erin Smalley.

• Author and motivational speaker Nika Maples (’96) spoke Feb. 18, 2013, in Chapel and in a Chapel Forum.

• Kenneth Cloke, author and director of the Center for Dispute Resolution in Santa Monica, Calif., spoke March 4, 2013, at a conference hosted by ACU’s Duncum Center for Conflict Resolution.

• In March 2013, Justice Week speakers in Chapel included Gerald Britt, vice president of public policy and community program development at CitySquare in Dallas; Ryan Groves, CEO of WishingWell; and Sally Fallon, author.

• Judges for the ninth annual FilmFest March 22, 2013, were event founder Matt Maxwell (’08), UCLA screenwriting teacher Kris Young and Nashville filmmaker Brent McCorkle.

• Dr. David Worley (’71), chancellor and former president of Austin Graduate School of Theology, was the speaker March 26, 2013, at the Friends of the ACU Library’s Spring Banquet. Frank and Patty Sue Schiro Coldwater were named 2013 Friends of the Year.

• Morlan Medal award recipient Dr. Jeri (Kyker ’70) Pfeifer and Kaye Price-Hawkins (’72), Pfeifer winner of the Bob Hunter Friend of Education award, were honored April 9, 2013, in an annual event sponsored by the Department of Teacher Education.

“Why did Lindsey and I choose the same path to attend ACU? Why did God take her home before me? He knew from the beginning that the Smiths were supposed to be Wildcats. He also knew I would need the Abilene Christian community for such a time as this. I am forever grateful.”

– LINDA (LaBOUNTY ’87) SMITH Blogging about the response of the university and her friends to the death Jan. 25, 2013, of her daughter, Lindsey, in a truck accident near Abilene.

See obituary on page 78.

$17,500

Amount students can save by fully utilizing ACU’s annual block tuition plan and graduating in 3.5 years.

2,500

Number of people in attendance Dec. 2, 2012, at first Mingle and Jingle on the east lawn of the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building. (See pages 2-3.)

94

Percentage of May 2012 graduates accepted into medical, dental, law and all other forms of graduate school.

Ninety percent of all graduates were either employed or in graduate school within six months.

88

Number of students who gave presentations at the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Festival.

Fourteen students received awards for oral and poster entries representing science, technology, engineering, mathematics, social science, arts and humanities.

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Prestigious NCAA Post-graduate Scholarships won by Wildcat student-athletes; women’s soccer standout Julie Coppedge (’13) is the latest. ACU ranks fifth all-time among Texas universities in number of recipients. (See page 62.)

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Number of students and faculty to experience the President Barack Obama inauguration and two weeks of classes and lectures at a conference sponsored by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. They were accompanied

by Dr. Suzie Macaluso, assistant professor of sociology, and Dr. Lynette Sharp Penya (’91), associate professor of communication.

GARY RHODES

• Texas Rep. Susan King and Sen. Troy Fraser participated March 22, 2013, in The Hot Seat “conversation series” sponsored by The Texas Tribune.

• April (Bullock ’89) Anthony, ACU trustee and founder and CEO of healthcare provider Encompass HomeHealth, and Darbie Angell (’03), founder of CRU Dinnerware, were featured Nov. 13, 2012, in the Griggs Center Entrepreneur Speaker Series.

• Jeff Rogers (’02) and Dana Tanamachi, New York City artist-illustrators, presented a lecture Nov. 30, 2012, hosted by the Department of Art and Design.

• Speakers at the College of Business Administration’s 15th annual Leadership

Amount raised by friends toward the Anabel Reid Memorial Fund at Water4, most of it contributed toward a run in March 2012. Reid died in a November 2011 bus accident while accompanying classmates and professors to Medina Children’s Home on an annual service trip sponsored by the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Instead of picking our career and back-filling our whole life, what if we pick our life and back-fill our career?

That can happen in a community of faith that’s pointing each other towards Jesus.”

– BOB GOFF New York Times best-selling author of Love Does, speaking April 2 during Justice Week at ACU. Goff founded Restore International, a nonprofit human rights organization serving people in India and Uganda. He is an attorney in Washington who teaches law at Pepperdine and Point Loma Nazarene universities.

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Ac adem ic NEWS Straughn, Cukrowski and Snider named new college deans

Mitchell’s $500,000 gift benefits JMC program, student-run agency Elise (Smith ’83) Mitchell knows a lot about being benevolent, especially when giving back to her alma mater.

Her 2011 gift to the university helped fund creation of the Morris & Mitchell student-run ad/PR agency. Her latest gift of half a million dollars funds an endowment to help finance the agency’s operation while allowing it to expand into new areas.

After selling her Arkansas-based Mitchell Communications Group (MCG), in January 2013, she is now CEO of the Dentsu Public Relations Network while retaining her position of CEO of MCG. By 2011, when she received a Distinguished Alumni Citation from her alma mater, MCG was grossing $10 million annually.

Mitchell says she chose to make the donation to JMC because the department changed her life and prepared her for a career in public relations.

“Supporting their work to prepare the next generation of leaders in my field is a great honor and just one small way I can try to repay the department for all they did to help me succeed,” Mitchell said. “I am particularly passionate about Morris & Mitchell, and wanted to ensure it would grow and thrive for many years to come.”

The donation will be used to support the already thriving agency, help the department better focus on diversity issues in curriculum and in instruction, and create a new student entity for the multimedia majors.

ACU’s online M.S. in Organizational and Human Resource Development degree program was ranked eighth in the nation by The BestSchools.org for its quality, course offerings, faculty, rankings, awards and reputation.

ACU’s M.Acc. program is among the top 10 in Texas with the highest CPA Exam pass rates, according to a report by the Texas Society of CPAs. Test results from April 2004 to September 2012 were measured.

The Texas Board of Nursing approved ACU’s B.S.N. degree program.

The School of Nursing will open in Fall 2013 and enroll 50 students.

ACU’s M.Ed. / Certificate in Superintendency program has been accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.

The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication announced the formation of 99 West Media, a new student-run media agency to provide

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Office of Major Scholarships helps position students for fellowships, graduate school success

Services, which includes five academic departments/units, the Pruett Gerontology Center and federal TRIO Programs.

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Dr. Jason Morris (’96 M.A.) can find his way around the scholarship process, having co-authored The Best Scholarships for the Best Students, a book designed to assist students in locating and applying for prestigious opportunities beyond their successful undergraduate years.

In November 2012, Morris was named director of ACU’s new Office of Major Scholarships, an Honors College organization designed to provide students with information, counsel and support when applying for nationally competitive major scholarships and fellowships. He also is associate dean of the Honors College.

Last year, Brittany Partridge (’12) became the first ACU student to earn both Truman and Marshall scholarships.

PAUL WHITE

Three of ACU’s five colleges recently announced the selection of new deans: Dr. Greg Straughn (’94) in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ken Cukrowski (’84) in the College of Biblical Studies, and Dr. Donnie Snider in the College of Education and Human Services.

Straughn has a wealth of administrative experience, having served previously as interim provost, assistant provost of general education, dean of the Honors College, and as professor and chair of the music department.

The College of Arts and Sciences is ACU’s largest, and is composed of 15 academic departments.

An associate professor of New Testament, Cukrowski was associate dean for academics in the College of Biblical Studies for 11 years before serving as the university’s vice provost.

He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ACU, and an M.Div., S.T.M. and Ph.D. from Yale Divinity School, and has served in associate, education and youth minister roles at local congregations.

An experienced administrator in K-12 schools, Snider previously served as chair of the Department of Graduate Studies in Education for three years and associate dean for the College of Education and Human

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practical experience for multimedia JMC majors.

Dr. Nancy Shankle Jordan, Dr. Tom Milholland (’66), Dr. Tom Winter (’71) and Dr. Phyllis (Barsch ’70) Bolin spoke Dec. 8-11, 2012, at the annual Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges conference about ACU’s successful accreditation reaffirmation process.

Dr. Joe Cardot, Dr. Paul Lakey (’80 M.A.) and Dr. J.D. Wallace (’89 M.A.) won top honors Nov. 15-16, 2012, in competition at the 98th annual convention of the National Communication Association in Orlando, Fla. Chad Kelly (’13) presented his research in the Top Papers Panel.

Associate professor of theology Dr. Frederick Aquino (’89) spoke March 4-8, 2013, at Cambridge University. He is co-editing The Oxford Handbook of the Epistemology of Theology (Oxford University Press, 2015).

UNDERGRADUATERESEARCH

Research with faculty an integral role for McNair Scholars Undergraduate research is thriving at ACU, from the annual Undergraduate Research Festival to the students from many disciplines who present their work at academic conferences each year.

The McNair Scholars Program focuses on providing research opportunities for students who are historically under-represented in advanced research programs, such as first-generation college students or students from ethnic-minority backgrounds.

The federally funded program is named after the late physicist and astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair, who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. The program pairs high-ability students with faculty mentors in their major field of study, who then provide academic support as the students undertake research projects. Students meet regularly with their mentors to determine the topic and scope of their work, then continue to meet as the students undertake the research and synthesize their findings.

“This experience affects the academic quality of the students we serve within this demographic,” said Hilary (Walton ’00) Simpson, associate director of the program. “Many of our students go on to top programs in their disciplines at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Syracuse and the University of Chicago.”

While still at ACU, McNair Scholars gain experience in presenting

Dr. Jeff Childers (’89) spoke March 9, 2013, at a University of Oxford conference celebrating the 60th volume of the series Translated Texts for Historians. Childers is professor of church history, Bible, missions and ministry, and Carmichael-Walling Chair for New Testament and Early Christianity.

Dr. Everett Ferguson (’53), distinguished scholar-in-residence and LeMoine G. Lewis Professor Emeritus of Church History, was honored with Eucharist & Ecclesiology, an international academic colloquy on campus March 21-23, 2013.

Whitney White (’14), Ellen Smith (’13) and Jennalee Sharp (’13) were honored by The Quest for Quality Teacher Preparation in Texas, a program sponsored by the Center for Research, Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to identify to teacher candidates. Dr. Dana Pemberton (’81), chair and professor of teacher

LINDSEY COTTON

Morris has lectured and conducted research in Hungary as a two-time recipient of a Fulbright grant. He taught an Honors colloquium in Spring 2013 to cover much of the same material as his book, including resume building, interviewing and preparation for graduate school.

“This is a transformational learning process because students get to clarify goals, think about their own future and create a clear, well-written proposal for the opportunity they would like to pursue,” Morris told the Optimist last fall.

“They walk out of the application process knowing more about themselves, what they want to do and their strengths and weaknesses. … We want to be an institution that cultivates in students a culture of achievement and scholarship.”

Many times, knowing how to best navigate the lengthy application process is a key to being successful in competing for Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Fulbright, Udall, Goldwater, Gates Cambridge, and Mitchell fellowships.

Abilene Christian students are more than qualified for consideration, and two have seen success after Morris’ tutelage.

Brittany Partridge (’12), co-founder of the Red Thread Movement, was one of the few U.S. students to earn prestigious Truman and Marshall scholarships in 2012. After graduating in December, she volunteered this spring at a Christian youth hostel in Amsterdam and interned for a nonprofit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

She currently is a Washington, D.C., intern in the Truman Foundation’s summer institute for its scholars.

This spring, environmental science major Wiepie Rojas (’13) received a Fulbright Scholarship. She will serve a 10-month assistantship in Malaysia starting in January 2014 that will allow her to teach and conduct agricultural development research.

For more: acu.edu/honors

their research at the university’s Undergraduate Research Festival, as well as conferences across the nation.

“These projects are important because they allow the students to interact with an expert in their field, and to explore a topic in greater depth than is typically possible in an undergraduate course,” Simpson said. “That experience makes the scholars stronger candidates for admission into competitive graduate programs.”

A recent notable McNair Scholar is biblical text major Noemi Palomares (’12), who worked with Dr. Curt Niccum (M.Div. ’92) of the College of Biblical Studies on a project to analyze popular Spanish translations of the Bible.

“The McNair Scholars Program is one of the best educational experiences I have ever had,” said Palomares, who is pictured above. “The research aspect, as well as the community of student scholars, is inspiring. My experience heightened my research and presentation skills, and my confidence in applying to graduate programs.”

A native of Weslaco, Texas, Palomares is now pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Yale Divinity School. Her older brother, Samuel (’11), also was a McNair Scholar and served as Students’ Association president.

He is working on a master’s degree in communication studies at The University of Texas at Austin.

For more: acu.edu/mcnair

education, was honored for Exemplary Field-Based Instructional Practices.

Graduate English students Greg Jeffers, Leanne Moore and Alison Maxfield received top honors for papers presented at the Conference of College Teachers of English and the Texas College English Association, hosted Feb. 21-23, 2013, at ACU. Professor and writer-in-residence Al Haley also was honored for his poetry.

In November 2012, 29 music majors performed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition in Denton, with 14 students advancing to the semifinals and three – Clinton Perdue (’14), Russell Garrett (’14) and Phillip Jackson (’15) – winning their respective categories.

Nicole Dorsey (’13), Chad Moore (’13) and Jillian Dowdy (’13) won first place honors in a competition sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers’ 2012 Texas chapter student symposium Oct. 5-6 in Dallas.

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Campus NEWS

For the latest, visit acu.edu/news facebook.com/abilenechristian twitter.com/ACUedu gplus.to/abilenechristian

Scholarship campaign tops 40 percent of goal, and $20 million

Renovations to CitySquare facility in Dallas nearly complete, new grad programs announced Excitement is building at 511 N. Akard St. as ACU’s new office and learning space in downtown Dallas is taking shape and preparing for a new semester of activity.

ACU at CitySquare is a collaborative initiative with the nonprofit community service organization formerly known as Central Dallas Ministries to provide students in most disciplines of study an opportunity to connect their learning with the real-world problem of urban poverty.

The second floor of CitySquare’s 15-story headquarters in downtown Dallas was renovated this spring for offices, classrooms and collaborative space to be used year-round by a number of ACU academic colleges and departments.

And beginning in Fall 2014, the university will offer two new graduate programs through ACU at CitySquare: a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree with an emphasis in medical family therapy and a one-year post-baccalaureate dietetic internship.

Pending final approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), ACU plans to offer these graduate programs to students at the Dallas

ACU again named Apple Distinguished Program Abilene Christian’s mobile-learning initiatives earned it Apple Distinguished Program status for the 2012-13 school year, again joining a select group of institutions recognized for exemplary learning environments. “We are especially excited about the future of mobile learning at ACU in relation to the iPad. It is a key strategy in our development of lower-cost, interactive digital textbooks, and participatory learning environments that can benefit all ACU students,"said Dr. John Weaver, ACU dean of library services and educational technologies.

Duncum, Massey added to Board of Trustees J. Mark Duncum (’83), owner and president of Double Creek Capital, Ltd., in Decatur, Texas, and Wayne Massey, M.D., (’66) professor of neurology at

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KELSEY EVANS

The Partnering in the Journey Campaign has crossed the $20 million mark, putting it more than 40 percent of the way to meeting its goal of raising $50 million for endowed student scholarships.

As of April 30, the campaign had raised $20.64 million and passed another milestone – with more than 1,000 donors pledging support.

The campaign will add to the university’s endowment, providing a stable base from which to provide more scholarships for the students who need them most. Since the campaign started, donors have created 66 new endowments and have contributed at least $10,000 to 43 others. In all, 376 donors have made commitments to endowed scholarships for the first time.

“We are blessed every day by the selfless generosity of our alumni and friends,” said Phil Boone (’83), vice president for advancement. “Our students are blessed even more. A gift to endowed scholarships is a gift not just for students attending today but for students attending 10 years, 20 years, 50 years from today.”

For a list of the most recently created endowments and a look at how loved ones have used endowments to carry on the legacy of those they have lost, see page 65.

More information about the Partnering in the Journey Campaign – including videos, student spotlights and more – is available at acu.edu/journey. To donate, email Boone at phil.boone@acu.edu or give online at acu.edu/giveonline. 䊱

The street level view of ACU at CitySquare (right) provides an eye-catching reminder of Abilene Christian University’s new presence in downtown Dallas.

location. Both will allow ACU students to experience the crossroads of classroom learning and ministry.

"CitySquare adds tremendous value to these programs," said Brandon Lemley, ACU’s director of graduate marketing.

“Through Abilene Christian’s partnership with CitySquare, students in these programs will have direct interaction with those who are most in need.

It also paves the way for some unique internship opportunities that are not available anywhere else in the nation.”

We’ll provide an up-close look at the facilities of ACU at CitySquare in our Fall-Winter 2013 issue.

For more: acu.edu/citysquare and facebook.com/ACUatCitySquare 䊱

Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., were recently named to ACU’s Board of Trustees.

Duncum earned a B.B.A. degree in accounting and became a CPA while working in the Audit Division of Ernst & Young in Fort Worth from 1983-88. He serves on the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy; the City of Decatur Zoning Board of Adjustments; and on the boards of North Texas Bank, Wise Regional Health Foundation, Wise Regional Health System, and the Wise Area Relief Mission.

Massey earned his medical degree in 1970 from the The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and has served on the staffs of medical centers in five U.S. states. A retired commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Massey is a former member of ACU's University Council and the National Development Council, and former co-chair of the Executive Board of Science and Mathematics. His wife, Janice (Munn ’68) Massey, M.D., was an ACU trustee from 1990-2011.

INNOVATIVEACU

ACU Press, Leafwood navigating book publishing tides University’s endowment returns again rank among nation’s best For the last decade, Abilene Christian has benefited from one of the top performing endowments among colleges and universities in the U.S., according to the 2012 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. ACU earned the No. 2 spot for the 10-year period ending June 30, 2012.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) 2012 survey evaluated the endowments of 831 institutions representing more than $406 billion in assets. The average rate of return among those schools reporting 10-year results (456 institutions) was 6.2 percent, compared to ACU’s 10.4 percent.

For all endowments with assets of more than $100 million, Abilene Christian had the highest five-year return at 5.0 percent.

“We are blessed to have a Board of Trustees that is progressive and innovative,” said Jack Rich (’76), ACU’s chief investment officer and manager of its $312 million endowment fund.

“Over the years, they have adopted a highly diversified portfolio that has approved investments in private equity, hedge funds, energy and other alternative investments.”

"We invest for the long term, and we are not overly concerned about monthly market movements,” said Rich. “Beyond that, we work with the best fund managers we can identify, who then invest on our behalf.”

Rich is president of the Abilene Christian Investment Management Company (ACIMCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of the university that manages its endowment. 䊱

University presses at faith-based institutions are a rare breed these days.

Although many of the top secular universities in the U.S. sponsor university presses, ACU is one of only seven faith-based institutions with one.

Others are the University of Notre Dame, Baylor University, Catholic University of America, Fordham University, Mercer University, and Texas Christian University.

While Abilene Christian has been in the publishing business for many years, ACU Press began in 1984 and produces up to 36 titles each year. Its academic titles focus on the humanities, theology, church history and Christian education.

Through its trade imprint, Leafwood Publishers, the press publishes books for a general audience of Christian readers, including memoir, Bible studies and devotionals, and books related to ministry and the Christian life.

The press also is a member of the 130-member Association of American University Presses.

While ACU Press books are aimed at an academic audience, Leafwood titles have a wider reach and are distributed through national media outlets such as LifeWay Christian Stores, Family Christian Stores, Mardel, Barnes & Noble, Sam’s Club, and Costco.

According to Dr. Leonard Allen, ACU Press director and editor-in-chief, the division of imprints is typical: many university presses publish trade books appealing to a broader audience, which bring in both revenue and exposure.

New faculty added for 2012-13 school year Abilene Christian has 243 full-time faculty members and 94 percent of those on a tenure track hold terminal degrees. The following were added to the faculty for the 2012-13 school year: • Dr. Dale Bertram, professor of marriage and family therapy • Jennifer (Baker ’00) Golden, assistant professor of management sciences • Dr. Bruce Hopkins (’80), assistant professor of chemistry* • Dr. Becky Hammack, associate professor of nursing and dean of the School of Nursing • Dr. Andrew Huddleston (’00), assistant professor of teacher education • Kelly Knight, J.D., instructor of political science • Megan May, assistant professor of library science

Although ACU Press receives funding from the university (and is designated as a nonprofit), Allen and his staff are always searching for ways to sell more books and make their enterprise more cost-effective.

In late April at the 2013 Pepperdine University Bible Lectures, ACU Press distributed The Story of Churches of Christ, a new publication by Dr. Douglas Foster, ACU professor of church history. The small booklet gives a brief history of Churches of Christ in America, describing the movement’s strengths and challenges. It is available online and also will be sold at ACU Summit in September. It highlights ACU Press’ commitment to engaging thoughtfully with Churches of Christ.

“We are extending the reach and visibility of Abilene Christian throughout academia and the church,” Allen said. “It is increasing ACU’s national reputation, serving the church with cutting-edge books, building faith, and supporting Christian higher education throughout the world.”

Because of the growing popularity of e-readers, ACU Press and Leafwood have been busy digitizing inventory, and now have more than 170 ebooks in their catalogs. Their products can be found on Apple’s iBookstore, Amazon’s Kindle store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, and the Kobo store. They will soon be available on many other ebook retail sites and library services, as well. 䊱 For more: acupressbooks.com and leafwoodpublishers.com

• Dr. Ron Morgan (’81), professor of history • Dr. Kenneth Olree, associate professor of engineering and physics • Rhonda Pupella, assistant professor of social work • Dr. Carson Reed (’95 D.Min.), assistant professor of practical theology • Dr. Robert Rhodes, professor of psychology and provost • Dr. Matt Roberson, assistant professor of musicology and department chair • Marcia (Rives ’93) Straughn, instructor of nursing • Dr. Kyle Tippens (’91), assistant professor of accounting and finance • Dr. Martha (Thomas ’70) Smallwood, assistant professor of exercise science* • Diana (Ellis ’88) Taylor, assistant professor of communication disorders* • Dr. Jeanine Varner, professor of English* * Added to faculty as of Spring 2012 AC U TO D AY

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Wildcat SPORTS Determined, dedicated Coppedge becomes 28th Wildcat to win NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship e all-conference, all-region and academic all-America accolades steadily heaped upon Julie Coppedge throughout her collegiate career were largely the product of hard work, passion and discipline.

But these positive attributes were instilled and reinforced through a tragic situation a decade ago when her older brother Chris, then 18 years old, died when a car in which he was riding was struck by an individual being pursued by police in a high-speed chase. e youngest of three children, Julie was 12 when Chris died and it’s possible his passing would have devastated the family even more if not for its unshakeable faith.

Julie’s mother also offered strength and

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support to her family as someone who had already experienced the cruelty of sudden unexpected loss.

“My mom lost her mom at age 10 and her dad when she was 22,” said Julie.

“Even after losing her son, I could see there was nothing she couldn’t overcome. e incident caused a lot of hurt, but I was propelled by it, and my mother’s lessons to me during that time were to ‘never give up’ and ‘have a passion to go after everything.’”

Her mother’s instructions helped set the stage for a collegiate life that has done nothing but flourish.

As a midfielder on the ACU soccer team, Julie finished her career ranked among the university’s all-time leaders in points and assists. She also made five all-region squads, four all-Lone Star Conference teams, and in 2012 earned her first academic all-America citation, followed by a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship valued at $7,500.

Julie also never missed any of her 82

GARY RHODES

Julie Coppedge

Barnier named new head track and field coach Keith Barnier, head track and field coach for 11 years at Minnesota State-Moorhead, was named to the same role at ACU in a press conference May 13. “It's tough to leave my alma mater because we've done some great things here. But I couldn't pass up the chance to coach track and field at ACU,” he said. “It is one of the legendary programs in our sport, and I’m looking forward to the chance to lead it through the transition to NCAA Division I and back to a place of prominence.” Barnier was previously an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama and at Clemson University.

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matches yet still found time to work as a writer and photographer for the Optimist newspaper, serve as an on-air announcer for NPR affiliate KACU-FM, and intern during the summer with Kimberly-Clark and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I’m lucky to have been advised by so many great mentors at ACU,” she said.

“I can still remember [former ACU head football coach] Dr. Bob Strader (’76) telling me to ‘go where your desires and talents intersect,’ and I immediately made a list of what I was good at and passionate about.

Most of the list centered on writing and communication.”

Julie’s excellence in the classroom allowed her to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising and public relations, with the added luxury of having a full-time job waiting for her upon graduation. rough a connection at Kimberly-Clark, Julie was introduced to HCK2 Partners and started working for the Dallas-based public relations firm in May. It was one of several offers she received months before Commencement. “is was such a huge transition for me, and I didn’t know which job to look at first,” said Julie. “I asked God to lead me, and while He didn’t provide a direct answer, I remembered that nothing can be a mistake with a God who can redeem anything.

I was afraid, but was reminded that fear is what takes us away from where God is.”

Julie’s success as a student-athlete makes her an ideal candidate to lead tours around campus for future Wildcats. When she does, her advice to them is a message of sacrifice. She also encourages them to live in the present and to develop their own definitions of success and purpose.

She believes her purpose is to impart the joy of God into others through communication.

His place in her life has helped her overcome tragedy and enabled her to set an example among friends who know they, too, can conquer their fears through God. 䊱

‘Starting Five’ honors best basketball stars of LSC era Throughout the early part of 2013, ACU basketball fans had an opportunity to vote online and at games for the top 10 men’s and women’s players during the Wildcats’ 40 years in the Lone Star Conference, and each of those teams was honored and recognized before its final NCAA Division II home games in March.

The top five vote-getters on the women’s team were Jennifer (Clarkson ‘96) Frazier, Claudia Schleyer (‘86), Anita Vigil (‘92), Melanie Carter (‘04) and Deonna (Moore ‘86) Shake. The top five on the men’s team were Jared Mosley (‘00), Randall Moore (‘80), Andrew Prince (‘75), Hunter Cooley (‘92) and Peter Kiganya (‘03).

A sixth player was added to each team: Caroline Omamo (‘98) for the women and Rodney Fedell (‘80) for the men.

Teammates douse Gale (15) in San Antonio after he broke the ACU and LSC career passing record.

Gale’s career heroics put ACU QBs in elite NCAA company

JEREMY ENLOW

Rarely is a collegiate football program blessed with one record-setting quarterback. So imagine how fortunate ACU head coach Ken Collums must feel to have coached two over the past eight seasons.

And not just record-setting quarterbacks, but a pair who etched their names alongside some of the top players in NCAA football history.

When senior Mitchell Gale took the final snap of his collegiate career on Nov. 10, 2012, in a win over Incarnate Word, it lowered the curtain on a sustained run of excellence only seen by quarterbacks at two other universities: Hawaii and Houston.

His final completion that night – a 17-yard pass to DeMarcus ompson late in the fourth quarter – gave him 408 yards for the game and 12,109 yards in his career, breaking the Lone Star Conference and ACU career records of 12,012 set by his predecessor, Billy Malone, who directed the Wildcat offense from 2005-08.

Gale entered the game needing 299 yards to reach 12,000 for his career, and a 15-yard pass to ompson in the third quarter placed him at exactly that mark. On the Wildcats’ next drive, he and ompson connected for 28 yards, pushing Gale past Malone in the record books. e stats put ACU in rare company: one of only three NCAA programs with consecutive quarterbacks to each pass for more than 12,000 career yards. Hawaii did it first with Timmy Chang (17,072 yards from 2001-04) and Colt Brennan (14,193 yards from 2005-07), and Houston repeated the feat with Kevin Kolb (12,964 yards from 2003-06) and Abilene native Case Keenum (NCAA-record 19,127 yards from 2007-11).

Gale led ACU teams to the NCAA national playoffs three times.

Gale’s career started inauspiciously when he arrived in August 2008 as a strong-armed freshman from Alva, Okla.

“He finished his career light-years from where he started it in 2008,” Collums said with a laugh after the UIW game. “He didn’t have a clue what was going on most of the time. I kicked him out of practices and fired him from drills several times.

“He didn’t show up as polished a quarterback as the way he finished,” Collums said. “He’s hard-headed like most really good quarterbacks can be. He and Billy Malone are two of the hardest-headed guys I’ve ever been around, but that’s also part of the reason they were so good and had such great careers.”

Like Malone, Gale directed the Wildcats to three NCAA Division II playoff berths, one LSC championship, one undefeated regular season, and 30 wins as the starting quarterback. In fact, over the eight years they were the Wildcats’ starting

Five to be inducted in October to ACU Sports Hall of Fame Hunter Cooley (‘92) and Kathy (Williams ‘79) Moore headline five ACU greats who will be inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in October. The class also includes football players Chip Martin (‘75) and Dr. Jack Griggs (‘64), as well as former football player and longtime assistant coach Jerry Wilson (‘71).

The five will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 18, during ceremonies at the Hunter Welcome Center. Tickets to the event can be purchased by calling 325-674-2353.

Cooley was recently named to the ACU men’s basketball “Starting Five” for the Lone Star Conference era and finished his career as the ninth-leading scorer in program history with 1,395 points.

Moore was a standout volleyball player and the first female winner of the

quarterbacks, Malone and Gale each led ACU to a 30-12 record.

Malone and Gale also combined to throw for 211 touchdown passes. and Gale surpassed Malone as the league and ACU all-time leader in completions (931 to 818), attempts (1,513 to 1,320), total offensive plays (1,755 to 1,439) and total offensive yards (12,177 to 12,065).

“I had no idea when I got to ACU where this career would take me. I was as far away from knowing as anyone could be,” Gale said. “But it’s a testament to God’s plan for His people. I’m thankful to have a Creator who intimately loves me and has blessed me with more than football. I’m thankful to my coaches, my teammates and each person around me who has helped me grow and mold me into the person I’ve become during my time at ACU.” While Gale was not selected in April in the 2013 NFL Draft, he participated in mini-camps for the defending Canadian Football League champion Toronto Argonauts and the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, eventually signing with Toronto. 䊱

Paul Goad Award (1979), which honors the top male and female athletes at ACU each year. She later served seven seasons as the Wildcats’ volleyball coach.

Martin was a two-sport (track and football) standout in the early 1970s.

In 1973 he set the then-Southland Conference record in the shot put at 60-1/4.

He also was a first team all-America football player in 1973, helping the Wildcats to the NAIA Division I national championship.

Griggs was ACU’s first academic all-America (1963) honoree. He serves the university as the Overton Faubus Professor Emeritus of Business and previously was professor and dean of its College of Business Administration.

Wilson coached 27 years at ACU, including on both of its NAIA Division I national championship teams. He was a defensive assistant for the 1973 squad and defensive coordinator of the 1977 title team.

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Sports ROUNDUP Men’s Basketb all • The Wildcats finished 12-14 overall and 6-12 in the Lone Star Conference during the second year of the Joe Golding (’99) coaching era.

• Senior guard Eric Lawton was voted second team all-LSC and became the first ACU men’s player to earn Newcomer of the Year honors. Lawton was one of the top scorers in the league with 17.3 points per game.

• Senior center Steven Werner, who averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, was named honorable mention all-LSC.

GARY RHODES

Johnathan Farquharson

DAVE EGGEN

Women’s B asket ba ll • Under the direction of first-year head coach Julie Goodenough, ACU claimed a share of its ninth women’s conference championship (with Midwestern State) and qualified for their first NCAA postseason appearance since 2008-09. The Wildcats finished their final season as an NCAA Division II member at 21-7 after losing to Texas-Permian Basin in the regional quarterfinals, 70-68.

• Junior guard Mackenzie Lankford was voted second team Daktronics NCAA Division II all-South Central Region.

Lankford, a second-team honoree as a freshman in 2010-11 and a first-team selection as a sophomore in 2011-12, is only the third ACU Wildcat to earn three Daktronics all-region honors, joining Melanie Carter (’04) and Audrey Maxwell-Lively (’09). Lankford averaged a team-best 14.3 points per game and shot 40.9 percent from the field.

• Lankford also became the eighth and final Wildcat women’s basketball player to earn a third straight first team all-Lone Star Conference award. Junior forward Renata Marquez (second team) and senior center Kelsey Smith (honorable mention) also were honored by the LSC for their fine play. Julie Goodenough was voted co-Coach of the Year, along with Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Nicole Anderson, and ACU first-year point guard Whitney West was voted the league’s Freshman of the Year.

JEREMY ENLOW

Track and Field • The Wildcats swept both team titles in the inaugural LSC Indoor Championships in Lubbock, where the women’s team won its first LSC track and field crown since the 2008 outdoor meet with a decisive 150-98 advantage over runner-up West Texas A&M. The men came from behind to hold off Texas A&M-Kingsville, 149-142. Both teams finished third at the LSC Outdoor Championships.

• All-conference honors were presented to 14 Wildcats, including Jordan Geary, who was named Outstanding Male Track Athlete, and Amanda Ouedraogo, the Outstanding Female Field Athlete.

• ACU’s women’s team placed 10th at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships with 24 points.

Amanda Ouedraogo finished as the national runner-up in the triple jump and was one of seven Wildcats to earn all-America status along with Elea Diarra (400m, 4x400m), Johnathan Farquharson (60m), Ayesha Rumble (4x400m), Shennae Steele (4x400m), Chloe Susset (mile) and Reyare Thomas (60m, 200m and 4x400m).

• Ouedraogo broke ACU records in the indoor and outdoor triple jumps.

A native of Hauts de Seine, France, she won the LSC indoor title with a distance of 43-1/2 (13.12 meters), and later placed sixth outdoors at the 55th annual Mt. SAC Relays with a career-best effort of 43-6 (13.26 meters).

• Jerrod Cook was named the NCAA Division II South Central Region Men's Indoor Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year. His throwers scored 24 points at the LSC Indoor Championships, led by senior Baptiste Kerjean’s win in the weight throw.

• Eighteen Wildcats were named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-South Central Region teams.

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B a se b a ll • Senior Kyle Conwell tied a school single-game record with three home runs and led the Wildcats to a 5-4 victory over Eastern New Mexico on March 29 at Crutcher Scott Field. The only other Wildcat to accomplish the feat was Joel Wells (’06), who did it against Tarleton State in 2006.

Conwell's final round-tripper served as ACU's first walk-off home run since 2008.

• The National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Wednesday selected junior third baseman Kyle Giusti as its NCAA Division II National Hitter of the Week on March 20. The Santa Fe, Texas, native was honored after hitting .550 with seven RBI in six games vs. No. 1-ranked Delta State and No. 24 Incarnate Word.

• Carter Hahn, Brady Rodriguez, Ty Taylor and Aaron Lambrix earned consecutive LSC Pitcher of the Week awards from March 5-25.

• Guisti and Rodriguez were named first team all-LSC. Guisti, who batted .358 with 40 RBI, was chosen first-team all-region by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Rodriguez, a relief pitcher, had a team-best ERA of 2.29.

The Wildcats finished 29-24 overall and 15-13 in the LSC.

Renata Marquez

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Borja Cortés

S o ftb a ll • ACU placed first in the Bronze Bracket at the prestigious National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division-II Leadoff Classic. The Wildcats defeated Minnesota-Mankato, 5-2, and CSU-San Bernardino, 8-3, on the tournament’s final day to finish the six-game showcase with a 4-2 record.

• The Wildcats scored a school-record 25 runs April 19 at Eastern New Mexico. The previous record was 22, set against Texas-Permian Basin in 1998 and ENMU in 2011.

• Seven members of the 2012 Wildcat softball team, including current players Madison Buckley, Shelby Hall, Peyton Mosley, Ashley Nolan and Sara Vaughn, were tabbed National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-America Scholar Athletes at the start of the 2013 season.

• Senior outfielder Keanna Winkfield batted .396 and scored 48 runs. She was voted first-team all-region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and second-team all-region by Daktronics. The 2013 team finished 28-26 overall, 13-15 in the LSC. G o lf • Senior Alex Carpenter represented the United States this summer at the 2013 Palmer Cup. The annual Ryder Cup-style competition was scheduled to be played June 7-9 at Wilmington (Del.) Country Club. Carpenter, who previously represented the U.S. at the 2011 Palmer Cup, earned his fourth LSC Player of the Year award and also was featured on Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd”(April 22) after winning his 20th collegiate tournament at the Dallas Baptist Classic. He became the first ACU golfer to be named all-America four times.

• Sophomore Corbin Renner placed second (even-par 216) at the LSC Championship.

M e n’s Te nnis • The Wildcats finished 14-15 after falling, 5-4, in the LSC Championship match to Midwestern State. Postseason honors were presented to three-time LSC Player of the Year Hans Hach, sophomores Borja Cortés and Guilherme Gesser, and freshmen Jason Proctor and Nicklas Wingord.

Wo me n’s Te nnis • ACU won its 25th and final LSC title with a 5-0 shutout of Midwestern State.

Conference postseason honors were awarded to three-time LSC Player of the Year Julia Mongin, Micah and Kaysie Hermsdorf, Hannah Kelley, Laura Mongin and Brittney Reed. Hutton Jones earned his fourth women’s LSC Head Coach of the Year honor.

• Jones’ team made its 25th straight appearance in the NCAA Championships, losing 5-2 in the semifinals to eventual national runnerup BYU-Hawaii.

The Wildcats finished with a record of 29-6.

To learn more about student scholarships: acu.edu/giveonline

New scholarship endowments created • Lynn and Carolyn Anderson Endowed Scholarship • Baker Family Leadership Endowed Scholarship • Delma Butrum Brazle Endowed Scholarship • Collier-Branscome Endowed Scholarship • Lloyd Glenn Cummins Endowed Scholarship • Ellis/Stockdale Family Endowed Scholarship • First Colony Church of Christ Honor Endowment • Judy Fisher Endowed Scholarship • Rex Fleming Endowed Scholarship • Fridge Family Honor Endowed Scholarship

$50 $100 $300

brings a guest artist to campus to teach a theatre master class.

purchases a 3-D printer for the Department of Engineering and Physics.

ST U DE N TS R E C E I V I N G S C HO L A R S H I P S F ROM AC U

77.3% 74.4% 68.9% 71.1% 70.9% 2011-12

2010-11

2009-10

2008-09

2007-08

F A C U L T Y / S T A F F G I V I N G I N 2 0 1 2 -1 3 (as of May 16, 2013)

$310,157 $917,106

Annual participation from ACU faculty and staff rose 7%

2 012 HOM E C OM I NG R E U N ION C L A S S D ONAT ION S

1967 1972

1977 1987

1992

$157,800

$132,430

$84,814

1982 $165,079

Dr. Darryl Jinkerson, associate professor of management, was remembered as “an authentic human being” who maintained close relationships with God, his family and his students before his untimely death in October 2012. e joyful, effervescent personality of ACU junior Lindsey Smith left a permanent impression on those who knew her and grieved her loss in a January truck accident.

Ten-year-old Rex Fleming’s battle with cancer inspired thousands of people across Abilene before it ended – victoriously, his parents affirm – once and for all in December 2012.

Out of the grief and loss left by their absence, family and friends have taken steps to help future generations feel the life-changing effects of having known Darryl, Lindsey or Rex. Each has been memorialized through the creation of an endowed scholarship, cementing a legacy to be felt for decades.

“Cancer is a very tough opponent, but we know that one day a cure will be found so no other family will suffer the loss of a child as we did,” said Lance Fleming (’92), Rex’s father and ACU assistant director of athletics for media relations, who helped set up a scholarship for student-athletes in pre-medical fields. “Wouldn’t it be great if one of the doctors on the team that finally cracks the code to cure cancer went to ACU with help from the Rex Fleming Endowed Scholarship?”

As part of the Partnering in the Journey Campaign to raise $50 million in endowed scholarships (see page 60), family, friends and other loved ones have created 26 new endowments since December, honoring exceptional servants and leaders, living and deceased. e endowments provide scholarship funds for students indefinitely as they are invested by ACU’s nationally recognized investment services team. More than that, they serve as a perpetual monument to the enduring memories of those they honor. e Lindsey Lee Smith “Live Out Loud” Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment not only captures a defining aspect of her personality but provides scholarships for Study Abroad, one of her passions at ACU. A student-organized dance in February raised nearly $5,000 for the fund.

Likewise, the Dr. Darryl and Cindy Jinkerson COBA Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment honors Jinkerson’s passion for intercultural learning. An April golf scramble raised more than $10,000 for the endowment. “ey loved my dad so much that they wanted to come out and support it,” Rachel (Jinkerson ’11) Goodman told the Optimist. “It’s just kind of humbling and makes me wish I could live up to what he lived up to.”䊱

$137,625

Endowed scholarships provide honor, hope

develops six orientation-related podcasts to help ease the transition for new students in the Graduate School of Theology.

$143,972

YOUR GIFTS AT WORK

E X A M PL E S O F T H E P OW E R O F A M O N T H LY G I F T

Totals represent giving by a class since its previous reunion.

• Rhonda Holder Endowed Scholarship • Morris and Doris Howard Endowed Scholarship • Hutcheson-Scott Endowed Scholarship • Dr. Darryl and Cindy Jinkerson COBA Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship • Courtney and Elaine King Endowed Scholarship • McCaleb Family Lynay Endowed Scholarship • Robert Orr Endowed Football Scholarship • Professor Paul Morris Endowed Scholarship • Willa B Patterson Endowed Scholarship • Gregg Pearson Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Phillips Family Endowed Scholarship

• Priceless Literacy/Kaye Price-Hawkins Endowed Scholarship • Scott Foundation Endowed Scholarship • Lindsey Lee Smith “Live Out Loud” Endowed Scholarship • Darlene Voss Endowed Scholarship • Webb Family Endowed Scholarship To create your own endowed scholarship or contribute to an existing one, see acu.edu.giveonline or call 800-588-1514.

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EX PERIENCES Submit your news online at blogs.acu.edu/acutoday/experiences or use the EXperiences card in each issue of the magazine.

Deadlines: ACU Today is published two times a year (June and December). Because of printing deadlines, your news could be delayed by one issue.

Births and adoptions: Please indicate whether the addition to your family is a boy or girl.

Marriages: Remember to indicate the date and place of your marriage.

In Memoriam: A member of the deceased’s immediate family should submit this notification. Please include class year for all former ACU students in the family.

1958 Charles (’60) and Erma J. (Alkire) Loveland are enjoying retirement. 1090 Larned Lane, Abilene, TX 79602. lovelande@acu.edu

1963 DeWain Rhoads is retired as of September 2012.

4866 Twain Ave., San Diego, CA 92120.

1964

1959 Bill (’57) and Lily Jo (Walters) Abston have a new address. Bill continues his consulting work and Lily Jo is retired. 1470 S. John King Blvd., #6100, Rockwall, TX 78032. lilyabston@aol.com

1960 Richard and Justine Robb have a new address.

8501 Onyx Drive S.W., Lakewood, WA 98498. rjrobb04@comcast.net

Pat and Carolyn (Cawley ’65) Agnew have a new address. 8925 Whitehead St., McKinney, TX 75070.

1966 David and Peggy Bryan lost a daughter, 34-year-old Rebecca Jean, in a car accident July 15, 2011.

2238 Haystack Way, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579.

1968

1962 David and Claudia (Chambers ’63) Sowell will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary July 13, 2013.

9849 Larchcrest, Dallas, TX 75238.

Gailian and Alita Bagley have a new address.

8224 Breakers Blvd., South Padre Island, TX 78597. sansababoy@aol.com Joe Holley writes the Native Texan column for the Houston Chronicle. He is the author of Slingin’ Sam:

The Class of 1964 will celebrate its Golden Anniversary Reunion on campus in 2014.

The Life and Times of the Greatest Quarterback Ever to Play the Game (see page 55). 309 Bomar, Houston, TX 77006. joe.holley@chron.com Larry Wishard recently celebrated 30 years as minister of the Southeast Church of Christ in Aurora, Colo., and planned to retire this spring. He and Sheila Lynn (Self) have two children, Jeffrey (’99) and Amy Lynn (Wishard) Goggin, and two grandsons. 17031 East Prentice Drive, Centennial, CO 80015. Lwishard@msn.com

1969 Ronald and Barbara (Caraway) Pace have a new address. 11406 Old Mission Road, Houston, TX 77095. rvpacelc@yahoo.com Geri (McEachern) Jimenez is the author of Gotta Be Tough in Texas, illustrated by her son, Mik. 550 E.N. 22nd St., Abilene, TX 79601. marioworld@att.net MaryAnn (Carlton) Shockley and her husband, Mark, are both retired. 9626 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85020. maryanns4@cox.net Gary and Faith Cummings are in their third year hosting exchange students for the Council on International Educational Exchange. 13 Freedom Place, Waynesboro, VA 22980. garydoc@gmx.com

1970 Jim and Sherry (Griffin) Martin have a new address. 1114 McAlpin Road, Midlothian, TX 76065. jimsher48@gmail.com

1972 Ralph Seegren III lives in Huntsville.

3019 Sam Houston Avenue, Apt. F-202, Huntsville, TX 77340. seegrenralph@yahoo.com

STEVE BUTMAN

Felts was honored during Homecoming Chapel in Moody Coliseum.

ACU’s first Homecoming Queen, Addie (Rheiner ’55) Felts, was Homecoming Parade grand marshal in October 2012. In the image above from Homecoming 1951, Bob Davidson (’52) escorts three of the queen nominees onto the football field at Fair Park: Ruth Heggie (’53), Rheiner and Ginger Atkinson (’55). Felts is retired and living in Brownwood after a long career as associate ACU professor of health, physical education and recreation, and as the Wildcats’ first women’s head track and field coach. All five of her children and 16 of 20 grandkids have attended ACU. The 16th is her namesake: freshman Addie Jane Shipley (see inset).

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ACU NEWSMAKERS

Jack Pope was saluted April 18, 2013, by the Texas House of Representatives in Austin on his 100th birthday.

MARK MATSON

PAUL WHITE

Austin attorney Jeffrey S. Boyd (’83) became only the second ACU graduate to be named to the Texas Supreme Court when Gov. Rick Perry selected him to fill the uncompleted term of Dale Wainwright. Boyd (left), who had served as Perry’s chief of staff and is a former deputy attorney general for civil litigation, began work on the court Dec. 3, 2012.

Boyd Jack Pope (’34) was ACU’s first graduate to serve as a Texas Supreme Court jurist in 1964 before being named chief justice in 1982. He was honored April 18, 2013, in the Texas House of Representatives on his 100th birthday.

Frieda Floyd Jackson (’70), a teacher at Dallas Christian School, was named National Christian Schools Association teacher of the year at the NCSA conference in March 2013 in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Robert Homsher (’03) received the Sean W. Deaver Memorial Prize from the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. He is a supervisor on the Megiddo Expedition and senior field supervisor for the Jezreel Valley Regional Project.

In Munich, Germany, Dr. H. Jeff Kimble (’71) received the Herbert Walther Award from the Optical Society and the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.

Former ACU head coach Don W. Hood (’55) was inducted to Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

ALLEN GILLESPIE

Former ACU men’s basketball standout Kevin Starks (’98) was named the National Christian School Association’s 2012 Coach of the Year.

He is vice president, athletics director and boys’ head basketball coach at Harding Academy in Memphis, Tenn. Starks taught previously at Dallas Christian School and Fort Worth Christian School.

operating officer, vice president for university affairs, and dean of the School of Business and Management.

Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment, a 2010 textbook co-authored by Dr. Joel Nichols (’95), has been translated by Westview Press for use by law school students in China. Nichols is associate dean for academic affairs at University of St. omas School of Law and a senior fellow at Emory University’s Center for Law and the Study of Religion.

Joy (Polvado ’84) Ellinger, Taylor County GOP chairwoman, attended the president’s State of the Union address Feb. 12 in Washington, D.C., as a guest of Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer.

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (’70) and U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn (’74) were each named 2013 Port Person of the Year by the bipartisan PORTS Caucus (American Association of Port Authorities).

Monica Smith (’06) was one of 12 Best of Show awardees in the U.S. Department of State’s photo contest, “Serving Abroad … rough eir Eyes.”

Eric Harrell (’95), associate professor and chair of theatre at Regent University, is producing artistic director for Tidewater Stage, a new professional theatre company in Virginia Beach, Va.

Dr. Lorraine (Clary ’76) Wilson and her husband, J Wilson (’76), helped conduct a coaching clinic in May 2012 at Lira Integrated School in Uganda. Lorraine taught swimming instructors and J helped with construction of outdoor basketball courts. ey will return this summer with ACU staff and students. Lorraine is a longtime assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition.

Dr. James R. Wilburn (’53), dean of the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, was honored by Pepperdine for 40 years of service as provost, chief

Essie (Charles ’75) Childers, a professor at Blinn College, was elected vice president of the Texas Community College Teachers Association. e 6,000-member TCCTA is

the largest organizations of postsecondary educators in Texas. She also is founder of Young Ladies Success, an organization that conducts seminars providing motivational sessions, career information and financial education for middle school girls.

ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) was a panel speaker on “Innovations in Online Learning” in e Texas Tribune’s symposium on higher education at Texas A&M University.

Danny Kittley (’86), owner of Kittley Sports Promotions, was named general manager of the Abilene Bombers, an indoor arena football franchise in the Lone Star Football League.

Dr. William Rankin, ACU professor of language and literature, and director of educational innovation, has been named the new director of education and pedagogies at Apple, Inc. He has been an Apple Distinguished Educator and a member of its Advisory Board.

Chris (’06) and Stacy (Webb ’06) Field lead Mercy Project, a humanitarian effort to rescue child slaves in Ghana, West Africa.

Larry Sanders (’76) teamed with ACU’s Department of Political Science on Oct. 14 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Sanders owns Lawn Atlas Missile Base. e events included ACU students and faculty, veterans of the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron, civic leaders from the 1960s, and military representatives.

Linda Egle (’73), founder of Eternal reads, received the Norman Borlaug Humanitarian Award from MedAssets at its annual summit in early April in Las Vegas, Nev.

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Wylie Taliaferro Sosebee, son of Jason (’99) and Sacia Glazener Sosebee of Fredericksburg, Va.

Brody Jeffrey Brackeen, son of Chad and Jennifer (Thigpen ’02) Brackeen of Frisco, Texas; Jacqueline Kate Grimsley, daughter of Justin and Julie (Thigpen ’99) Grimsley of Fort Worth, Texas; and Kaycen Faith Thigpen, daughter of Jeffrey (’06) and Melissa (Koenig ’09) Thigpen of Fort Worth, Texas.

Talia Piper Hutchins, daughter of Brian Hutchins and Leslie (Pickett ’04) Hutchins, M.D., of Chesterfield, Va.

Alex Aven, son of Anthony (’09) and Nikita (Chaney ’10) Aven of Dallas, Texas.

Luke Usrey, son of Marc (’03) and Molly (Videtto) Usrey of Winston-Salem, N.C.

Cora June Sargent, daughter of Steve (’03) and Chelsie (Fletcher ’05) Sargent of Houston, Texas.

Isla Jane McCloud and Ian Thomas McCloud, twins of TJ (’03) and Holly (Lewis ’03) McCloud of Nashville, Tenn.

Witt Derrick Griggs, son of Chad (’05) and Amber Griggs of Keller, Texas.

Wendy Rose Richards, daughter of George (’02) and Rachel (McGuire ’04) Richards of Lufkin, Texas.

Kennedy Blair Fines, daughter of Barrett and Cara (Cunningham ’06) Fines of Corpus Christi, Texas.

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Callen Mays Hinton, son of Trent and Tyler (King ’05) Hinton of York, Neb.

Brown Overton Faubus, son of Todd (’03) and Erin (Norton ’04) Faubus of Bentonville, Ark.

Garrett Lincoln Daulton, son of Eric and Laura (Rich ’03) Daulton of Garland, Texas.

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Adeaiah Marie Sindayigaya, daughter of Arthemon (’03) and Lydia (Blasingame ’10) Sindayigaya of Abilene, Texas.

Isabella Grace Sanchez, daughter of Randy and Deanna (Cromwell ’06) Sanchez of Carlsbad, N.M.

Scout Luis Farmer, daughter of Ronnye and Jazmine (Caple ’03) Farmer of Moore, Okla.

BORN TO BE A WILDCAT

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

The Alumni Association will send a FREE Wildcat BabyWear T-shirt to the alumni parents of each newborn or adopted infant in your family!

Shelbie Faith Standridge, daughter of Steven and Mendy (Wilson ’02) Standridge of Midland, Texas.

Menley Breann Boone, daughter of Casey and Lyndi (Stuart ’08) Boone of Merkel, Texas.

Hunter Reid Halstead, son of Mitchell (’07) and Kayla (Dunn ’07) Halstead of Chattanooga, Tenn.

LINDSEY COTTON

Complete the EXperiences news card and mail it to us, or complete the info online at blogs.acu.edu/acutoday/experiences.

In-focus, high-resolution digital images (minimum file size of 500kb; use your camera’s highest quality setting) of alumni children wearing their Wildcat BabyWear should be emailed to babywear@acu.edu.

Call 800-373-4220 for more information.

Layden Jackson, daughter of Chris (’06) and Andrea (Ivester ’06) Jackson of McKinney, Texas.

Avery Parrish, daughter of Lance (’06) and Taylor (Tuerck ’06) Parrish of Kennedale, Texas.

Brooks Cave, son of Matthew (’98) and Becky (Clark ’00) Cave of Weatherford, Texas.

Aubrey Senter, daughter of Micah (’99) and Sherrill (Welborn ’03) Senter of Princeton, N.J.

Kinslee Annalise French, daughter of Cole (’06) and Jeanette French of Frederick, Md.

Perry Belcher and Lillian Hunter, daughters of Andrew (’06) and Julia (Thompson ’06) Belcher of Abilene, Texas, and Ryan and Rebecca (Belcher ’01) Hunter of Abilene, Texas.

We all feel the need to connect.

We keep in touch with friends and family, join communities of faith, and spend untold hours managing accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in part because they are all ways to keep us connected – to each other, to God, even to ourselves.

Connection has always been a crucial part of ACU. The experience of living on a college campus provides opportunities for deep, long-lasting connection that remain unique.

We hear from thousands of alumni each year and see every day the love you have for this university, and we try to channel that affection into ways to benefit you and ACU. Our alumni are ACU’s best source for prospective students, for jobs and internships for our current students, and for gifts that sustain for future generations the amazing experience ACU provides. In return, the ACU connection produces an instant bond in cities around the globe, opens up job opportunities and provides a community in the unlikeliest places.

To better connect with you, we’ve made some changes that will affect the communication you see from us. We’re moving to a new vendor, called iModules, to manage the acu.edu/alumni website, the online directory and our emails to alumni and friends.

We’re excited about this change and the opportunity it provides for alumni to better connect with each other and ACU. This month we're sending an email describing this change and asking you to confirm some basic information. Helping us this way won’t take more than three minutes, but for you it will: • Ease registration for class reunions, Rangers games, networking events and more; • Ensure you continue receiving freebies from the Legacy program, birthday discounts from The Campus Store, and other offers; and • Help you stay connected to ACU through our monthly e-newsletter and other communication – and better personalize what you receive from us.

Thank you for helping us make a smooth transition! 䊱 – CRAIG FISHER (’92)

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Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Projects 䊱

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SERVING YOU ADVANCING ACU

DALLAS AREA Toni Young • URM 214-402-5183, toni.young@acu.edu Craig Rideout • AC – Collin, Denton, Wise and Parker counties 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 craig.rideout@acu.edu Chris Ballard • AC – Dallas, Rockwall, Ellis and Kaufman counties 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 chris.ballard@acu.edu Lance Rieder • AO 325-674-6080, lance.rieder@acu.edu

FORT WORTH AREA Brent Barrow • URM 817-946-5917, brent.barrow@acu.edu Will Beasley • AC – Tarrant, Johnson and Hood Counties 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 wab06a@acu.edu Lance Rieder • AO 325-674-6080, lance.rieder@acu.edu

When asked why she became the university relations manager for Dallas last fall, Toni (Hale ’84) Young doesn’t hesitate before giving two reasons. “I love ACU,” she says. “And I love people.”

For Toni, a former teacher and administrator in K-12 schools, the URM job provided a chance to do what she enjoys: meeting and talking to parents, counselors, ministers and students. As an alumna and a parent, Toni believes in ACU’s mission and relishes the chance to engage prospective students, parents and alumni. “I get excited thinking about how a student’s experience at ACU will be life-changing for them,” she says. “I am always looking for ways to connect alumni, students and parents to the university. “ Like other URMs, Toni rarely experiences a typical day on the job: her tasks range from visiting college and career counselors at area high schools to planning a variety of events. She coordinates volunteers for those events and urges alumni to “just say yes” when they are asked to help. “I would also encourage all alumni to give back to ACU,” she says, “whether in a monetary way or by giving their time.

Alumni also are very important in helping students find internships and jobs.”䊱 KIM LEESON

Do you want to recommend a prospective student, volunteer, host an event or just learn more about how you can be involved with ACU where you live?

To help foster relationships with alumni and future students, ACU has assigned personnel from its Advancement and Admissions offices to major markets in Texas.

A university relations manager (URM) focuses on establishing relationships with churches and schools, an admissions counselor (AC) reaches out to future students and their parents, and an advancement officer (AO) assists prospective donors seeking an opportunity to contribute funds to ACU. Through this territory team approach, these dedicated professionals can provide exceptional service to those who contribute so graciously to ACU’s mission and 21st-Century Vision.

Toni Young connects Dallas alumni, students, parents

– KATIE NOAH GIBSON

HOUSTON AREA

AUSTIN AREA

Carri Hill • URM 713-582-2123 • carri.hill@acu.edu Lauryn Lewis • AC 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 lauryn.lewis@acu.edu Eric Fridge • AO 713-483-4004, eric.fridge@acu.edu

facebook.com/ACUAustin • acu.edu/austin

AUSTIN AREA

SAN ANTONIO AREA LaDonna Wilson • URM – San Antonio, South Texas 210-410-9014 • ladonna.wilson@acu.edu John Mark Moudy • AC – San Antonio, South Texas 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 johnmark.moudy@acu.edu Josh Clem • AO – San Antonio, South Texas 210-573-2475, josh.clem@acu.edu

WEST TEXAS AREA

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facebook.com/ACUFtworth • acu.edu/fort-worth • Ricky Lewis (’01) was the speaker at an alumni networking luncheon Feb. 13 at Pappasito’s. Lewis is executive director of TeenLifeline.

• Nino (’92) and Alison (Money ’91) Elliott hosted a Purple and White Party at The Hills Church in Southlake on April 14, 2013.

HOUSTON AREA facebook.com/ACUHouston • acu.edu/houston • About 400 alumni, parents and other ACU fans attended a pre-game party Feb. 2, 2013, in the center field Champions Pavilion at Minute Maid Park to watch the Wildcats play in the season-opening Astros in Action Division II Baseball Invitational. Head coach Britt Bonneau’s team split its four-game series Feb. 1-4 in the tournament and took time before its Feb. 2 game to play whiffle ball at Stude Park with middle-schoolers who live near Impact Houston Church of Christ.

See pages 6-7.

• A casual, young alumni social was held April 25, 2013, with representatives of ACU’s College of Business Administration at Goode Co. BBQ. • Gary and Lee Anne (Moses ’80) Robbins hosted 65 students and parents Jan. 13, 2013, at a Purple and White Party at Clear Lake Church of Christ.

SAN ANTONIO AREA facebook.com/ACUSanAntonio acu.edu/san-antonio • Wildcat Wednesday alumni networking luncheon speakers in 2013 have included Chris Field (’06) on Jan. 30, Irene (Williams ’66) White on Feb. 27, Russell Noll (’79) on March 27 and Dr. Bob Kiser (’75) on April 27. Field is executive director of Mercy Project, Noll is managing director for Transwestern, and Kiser is a retired Navy rear admiral.

• Jim (’83) and Debbie (Dorsey ’83) McKissick hosted a Purple and White Party in their home on March 26, 2013.

• Cheryl (George ’77) Green, Leslie McFadden and Beth (Scantland '84) Woolfolk hosted ACU Moms events in their homes.

DALLAS AREA facebook.com/ACUDallas acu.edu/dallas • John Siburt (’96) presented an update on exciting ACU at CitySquare developments during an alumni networking luncheon Feb. 28, 2013, at Saltgrass Steakhouse. Siburt is assistant vice president for programs at CitySquare.

• Purple and White Parties were hosted by Dodd (’86)

Cassie Baumann • AC 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 cassie.baumann@acu.edu Mark Rogers • AO 325-674-2669, mark.rogers@acu.edu

FORT WORTH AREA

JEREMY ENLOW

Tunisia Singleton • URM – Austin / Central Texas 512-450-4329 • tunisia.singleton@acu.edu Natalie Fleet • AC – Austin, Central Texas 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 natalie.fleet@acu.edu Josh Clem • AO – Austin / Central Texas 210-573-2475, josh.clem@acu.edu

• Alumni and Friends Luncheon speakers in 2013 have included Dr. Paul Faulkner (’52) on Jan. 29 and Jeff Boyd (’83) on March 28. Boyd was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Rick Perry, and began serving Dec. 3, 2012 (See story on page 67). Faulkner is ACU professor emeritus of Marriage and Family Institute.

• Purple and White Parties were held Nov. 15, 2012, at the Waco home of Keith (’92) and Martha Kate (Stallings ’92) Gunn, and April 11, 2013, at the home of Jay (’91) and Sylvia (Bell ’94) Burcham, where co-hosts were Mark (’84) and Tere (Anderson ’89) Hager, Craig (’84) and Geri (Hargrove ’85) Archer, John (’81) and Theresa (Varvel ’80) Newton, Robert and Stephanie (Elliot ’92) Grosz, and Steve (’84) and Stefani (Pearson ’87) Dillon.

• ACU Moms events in 2013 have been held Jan. 28 at the home of Jeanette Davis; Feb. 11 at Crestview Church of Christ, hosted by Kay (Coffee ’81) Williams; and April 2 at the home of Carmen (Andrews ’85) Plunk.

and Kelly (Cooper ’86) Roberts on Nov. 12, 2012, and by Mark (’86) and April (Bullock ’89) Anthony, Greg (’82) and Niki Samuel, and Bill Minick (’82) on April 15, 2013, at Riverside Church of Christ.

AC U TO D AY

Charlie (’89) and Amy Onstead, and their sons Chad, Samuel and Benjamin enjoyed watching the Wildcats play baseball at Minute Maid Park.

Kudos to our volunteers e following volunteers have served ACU during the 2012-13 school year in each of these territories. If you are interested in volunteering, contact your URM and discover ways to get involved!

Austin / Central Texas area • Darbie (Wilson ’03) Angell • Craig (’84) and Geri (Hargrove ’85) Archer • Gwyn Baird • Dayna Bell • Connor (’12) and Amanda (McVey ’12) Best • Terra (Hardin ’82) Brimberry • Chelsea (Thornton ’01) Buchholtz • Jay (’91) and Sylvia (Bell ’94) Burcham • Pam Cobern • Jeanette Davis • Steve (’84) and Stefani (Pearson ’87) Dillon • Ty (’02) and Charis (Dillman ’02) Dishman • Julie Eichelberger (’10) • April (Ward ’06) Farris • Scott (’93) and Sandy (Miller ’92) Ferguson • Jared Fields (’08) • Liz Fox • Robert and Stephanie (Elliot ’92) Grosz • Mark and Sue Groveunder • Keith (’92) and Martha Kate (Stallings ’92) Gunn • Jeff Hagemeier (’03) • Mark (’84) and Tere (Anderson ’89) Hager • Ravanne Harris (’12) • Brian Jackson (’87) • Archie and Carol Johnson • Lisa (Scott ’86) Johnson • Gary (’85) and Bonny (Spoonts ’85) Jones • Jim (’82) and Dana (Hodde ’81) Jones • Steve (’72) and Judy (Hale ’75) Jones • Michael Kern (’08) • Tanya Kirby • Sylvia (Tucker ’10) Mack • Mike (’87) and Shanie (Goodpasture ’88) Mayeux • Bill (’81) and Jan (Seaberg ’82) McClellan • Julie (Ward ’82) Metscher • John (’81) and Theresa (Varvel ’80) Newton • Wendy Onken • Randy Pittenger (’80) • Carmen (Andrews ’85) Plunk • Shea Rattan (’12) • Gary (’85) and Lisa (Crumley ’87) Shake • Mason Singleton (’09) • Steve (’84) and Becky (Bourland ’84) Sorrells • Brantley Starr (’01) • Grant Williams (’12) • Steve and Kay (Coffee ’81) Williams • Kelly Wilson (’12) Dallas area • Laura (Mann ’00) Aguilar • Mark (’86) and April (Bullock ’89) Anthony • Kristen (Edens ’92) Babovec • Suzanne (Shipp ’86) Baird • Bailey (Brown ’11) Beasley • Katherine Bowen (’06) • Bryan Brokaw (’05)

• Chris (’92) and Robin (Stonebarger ’91) Campbell • Clark (’06) and Lindsay (Davis ’06) Chance • Clay Chesser (’04) • Kelsey Davis (’12) • Terry (’81) and Betsy (Barber ’81) Davis • Bryan Elrod (’11) • Trey Finley (’97) • Jonathan Garner (’10) • Ben Gonzalez (’09) • Jeremy Gordon (’03) • Hutch Haley (’82) • Hutton Harris (’08) • Lantz Howard • Kenyon Jackson (’13) • Eric Johnson (’07) • Rodney Johnson (’16) • John Kimberlin • Tara (Moreno ’03) Kirk • Jenna (Mauldin ’87) Mason • Matt McBryde • Rachel (Rainwater ’84) McClure • Bryan (’86) and Nancy (Hickman ’86) Middlebrook • Jamie Milstead (’01) • Bill (’82) and Melissa Tonn Minick • Jason O’Quinn (’99) • Jim Orr (’86) • Courtney (Garner ’12) Orr • Lindsay Palmer (’15) • Greg Pirtle (’98) • Eric Powers (’07) • Phillip Powers (’09) • T’Neise Ragland (’15) • Dodd (’86) and Kelly (Cooper ’86) Roberts • Greg (’82) and Niki Samuel • Bryan Sharp (’81) • Karissa Sherry (’12) • Lindsay (Legler ’00) Shuttlesworth • John Siburt (’96) • Jamilah Spears (’14) • Shane (’06) and Crystal (Garner ’06) Spencer • Amanda Stacy (’09) • Audrey (Pope ’85) Stevens • Tina Tamez (’10) • Brian and Jana (Oldfield ’87) Tinsley • Sawyer Williams (’09) • Kendell Wilson (’10) Fort Worth area • Ashlea (Allred ’08) Adams • Shay Aldriedge (’10) • Starlyn (Thomas ’86) Barrow • Sid Beebe (’89) • Norm and Diane (Eubanks ’71) Bradley • Blake (’08) and Katie (Mack ’09) Browder • Robert (’80) and Emily (Mahon ’81) Bullock • Jeff and Kathleen (Stillwell ’09) Campbell • Tammie (Minton ’83) Cotton • Jeff (’82) and Cindy (Fenner ’82) Craig • Cory Curtis (’94) • Nino (’92) and Alison (Money ’91) Elliott • Leslie Fry (’87)

• Reggie and Beverly (Adams ’82) Garner • Jim and Avery Hobby • Brittney Hopkins (’12) • Jean (Anderson ’67) Kevil • Emily Miller (’12) • Britton New (’08) • Bryce (’12) and Julieanne (Mack ’12) Orr • Doug (’83) and Jayne (Montgomery ’83) Orr • Madeline Orr (’16) • Mason (’08) and Casey (Lewis ’08) Orr • Monica Parodi (’12) • Melinda Perkins (’87) • Trenton (’09) and Kylie (Jennings ’09) Pope • Scott (’83) and Debbie (Beebe ’83) Souder • Dub (’74) and Val Stocker • Cheryl (Renninger ’88) Vela • Sally (Montgomery ’85) Westerlage Houston area • Gary (’79) and Awilda (Randolph ’81) Acuff • Mike (’98) and Melissa (Hall ’01) Avery • Chad Baker (’99) • Bryce (’87) and Jennifer (Burton ’86) Baxter • Jay Blackburn (’03) • Eddie Boyer (’99) • Adam Brennen (‘04) • Christine (Painter ’12) Cantrell • Paige (Henson ‘91) Cawyer • Kelsey Chrane (’12) • Austin Cunningham (’03) • Chris Dowell (’05) • Ralph Draper • John Duncum (’59) • Carl Etchison • Jordan Ferguson (’08) • Dave (’98) and Amy (Berry ’95) Fuller • Lowell Good (’87) • Kim (Beustring ’86) Greer • Ashley (Downhour ’06) Gunter • Katie Hahn (’10) • Conner Halstead (’10) • Lauren Handley (’08) • Carson (’12) and Sara (Shoultz ’12) Henley • Abby Holland (’10) • Brandon Kahla (’12) • Colter (‘95) and Elizabeth (Mitchen ‘96) Lewis • Guy (’80) and Holly (Hollingsworth ’80) Lewis • Katherine (Brown ‘02) Mach • Rick McCall (’81) • David (’95) and Jennifer (Prill ’96) Meredith • Ronnie Norman (’92 M.S.) • Charles Onstead (‘89) • Kay Onstead • Anna Peters (’09) • Warner Phelps (‘01) • Sarah Pulis (’09) • Leigh (McCook ’88) Rhyne • Wade Richardson (’89) • Gary and Lee Anne (Moses ’80) Robbins • Steve Sandifer (’70) • Justin (‘06) and Amanda (Pierce ‘06) Scott

More than 350 alumni, par ents, students and other fans attended a tailgate before ACU’s Nov. 10 foo tball game in San Antoni o with University of the Inc arnate Word.

• Sherri Scott (‘96) • Chris (’94) and Jacinda (Jackson ’95) Shanks • Tara Shoemaker (’11) • Steve Smith (’74) • Andy Spell (‘85) • Donna Stone (’85) • Robin Werderich • James Wright (’03) San Antonio area • Mark (’83) and Ellen (Gilliam ’83) Abshier • Herb and Jennifer (England ’85) Allen • Jon (’86) and Joanna (Gomez ’87) Anderson • Dr. Lynn Anderson (’90 D.Min.) • Ross and Valinda (McAlister ’81) Bacon • Randy Boggs (’80) • Ron (’80) and Lee (Ligon ’80) Booker • Traci (O’Quinn ’93) Brown • Randy Couchman (’97 M.S.) • Ben (’00) and Rachel (Holsey ’01) Crain • Chris (’87) and Mary Beth Cuevas • Cecil (’71) and Judi (Hines ’68 M.M.F.T.) Eager • Chris Field (’06) • Melanie (Booker ’06) Fry • Steve (’77) and Cheryl (George ’77) Green • Christian Guerra (’06) • Brian Hailey (’03) • Russell (’86) and Gina (Gomez ’85) Harrison • Larry Hobbs (’69) • Lauren (Lair ’05) Jones • Chris (’06) and Danielle (Lough ’07) Lair AC U TO D AY

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• Matt (’83) and Lisa (Ball ’83) Lair • Alice Ligon • Steve Mack (’82) • Leslie McFadden • Jim (’83) and Debbie (Dorsey ’83) McKissick • Leon McNeil (’92) • Russell Noll (’79) • Jacob Raitz (’12) • Alan (’86) and Janice (Harris ’88) Rich • Doris Schuetze • Scott Stumbo (’86) • Kevin Thompson (’99) • Tyler Truax (’10) • Andrew Voiles (’09) • Brendan (’05) and Erin (Utley ’07) Voss • Irene (Williams ’66) White • Beth (Scantland ’88) Woolfolk • Hunter Woolfolk (’09) • Preston Woolfolk (’10) West Texas area • Collette (Kuykendall ’93) Barragan • Jason (’08) and Alyse (Ritchie ’11) Creed • Grant Davis (’11) • Darren Hodges (’81) • Emily Hood (’11) • Joey Hopkins (’10) • Bill Jenkins (’92) • Stephanie (Wakely ’03) Lee • Jessica (Bills ’08) Neitsch • Julie (Goen ’04) Panger • Mark Speck (’80) • Jerry (’71) and Diane (Stevens ’70) Wilson • Marilyn (Murdaugh ’60) Wood

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1974

1978

Alex and Fabiola Koperberg have moved to a hobby farm in Minnesota after Alex retired in 2011 following a 38-year career as a teacher and dean of students for the Los Angeles (Calif.) School District. 31632 185th Ave., Clarissa, MN 56440. alex.koperberg@gmail.com

Dwayne King retired from Texas Health and Human Services on June 30, 2012 after 26 years. He now works with TeraGanix, a start-up, and manages DCALA Farm.

19371 U.S. Highway 69, Alto, TX 75925. dwayne.king@teraganix.com Craig and Gina Morgan have founded Blended Together, a ministry to blended families. 5248 Spicewood Lane, Frisco, TX 75034. craig@blendedtogether.org Margaret (Wilson) Goldfinch is a retired teacher and vice president of Montgomery County’s Association of Retired School Personnel. She and her husband, John, live in Conroe. He works for Targa Resources Inc. P.O. Box 2325, Conroe, TX 77305. jmgoldfinsh@aol.com

1975 Dr. Bob Kiser retired from the Navy with the rank of rear admiral after 38 years and is now a professor at University of the Incarnate Word. 1427 Blackbird Lane, San Antonio, TX 78248.

Terry (’74) and Essie (Charles) Childers anticipate celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in August 2013. She is a professor at Blinn College who recently published her first book, Packing Tools for Success Beyond Middle School. He is a retired city manager and former member of the Board of Trustees at ACU and Oklahoma Christian University. They have three children: Shalawn F. Harris (’96), Jonathan Childers (’02) and Adam Childers (’06). 4400 Belvoir Court, College Station, TX 77845. essiechi@gmail.com

Joy Watlington, born Feb. 16, 2013, to Todd (’04) and Malia Watlington. 406 Williams St., Rockwall, TX 75087.

1980 Dana Krikorian is the technical publications manager at Omnicell. 1335 Montecito Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043. dkrikorian@msn.com Melissa (Daniels) Nelson teaches music at Willow Creek Elementary School in Tomball. 14130 Castor St., Tomball, TX 77375. mellienellie@yahoo.com

1982 Rod Self has published a book, From Children to Champions, with Westbow Press. 1620 South Ave. F, Portales, NM 88130.

1979 Sherry (Rohre) Watlington retired from the Garland ISD after teaching for 27 years. She and her husband, David, have two new granddaughters, Wren Michele Watlington, born Aug. 19, 2012, to Trae (’07) and Chelsea Watlington, and Willa

1983 Amy (Withers) Dale has returned from a year of teaching fourth and fifth grade at Pacific Horizons School in American Samoa.

Dr. Jeffrey Hobbs is professor of communication

Rallying Around Rex: Youngster lost his battle with cancer but won hearts along the way This article was published in the NCAA’s Champion magazine, and is reprinted with permission.

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soon after Rex’s death. “It puts what I do and what anybody does in perspective.

You hear that all the time. It hits home and puts everything in perspective.” at perspective led the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes to establish the Rex Fleming Christian Athlete of the Year Award. It led Abilene High to name its Fighting Heart Award for Rex. It led Lance and Jill to establish an endowed athletics scholarship in Rex’s honor and to raise funds for children at Cook Children’s Medical Center to have iPod touches to keep them occupied on the days when treatment makes it too hard to go to the playrooms.

And it led a campus, and a community, to know what it means to go deep. 䊱 – DR. CHERYL MANN BACON JEREMY ENLOW

Rex Fleming had his mother’s red hair and his father’s dry wit.

He grew up in the press box at Shotwell Stadium and at the scorer’s table in Moody Coliseum. He devoured hot dogs and nachos at Crutcher Scott Field. On trips across the far-flung Lone Star Conference, he swapped stories with Abilene Christian’s broadcast crew, led by his dad, Lance Fleming (’92), the assistant athletics director for media relations.

In hard times, families draw on what they know, encircled by those who love them. at’s what happened in November 2010 when persistent headaches and nausea led to an MRI that revealed a tumor deep inside Rex’s brain.

Lance and his wife, Jill, drew on their deep faith in God, surrounded by teams of fellow believers, athletes, coaches, fans and friends who rose to support them in their two-year race against cancer. at circle came to encompass an entire community and a nationwide network of sports journalists, sports information directors and coaches.

Friends organized a Run for Rex to help with the many expenses not covered by health insurance. Others ordered wrist bands, designed and sold P4X (Pray for Rex) T-shirts, planned special days for sister Ashley, or helped with baby Ryan, the blessing who celebrated his first birthday just days before Rex died Nov. 25 of last year.

Lance marked each step of the way on a Caring Bridge blog that has more than 157,000 visits to date. “I’ve made my living in the world of sports, whether it be working for a newspaper or working in the athletics department at Abilene Christian University,” Lance wrote on Dec. 10, 2010, “and I’m here to tell you that there is

absolutely NO correlation to what a team goes through in a given year and real-life adversity.” rough that adversity, Rex was determined to be normal. His understanding of the seriousness of his condition astounded his parents and friends. Yet the summer after the first surgery, Rex was in the dugout with his Little League team, no longer able to pitch but swinging a bat at the plate and doing his innings in the outfield with fervor.

Abilene Christian quarterback Mitchell Gale (’12) walked hand-in-hand with Rex to the middle of the field for the Wildcats’ final home game last Nov. 3. Rex called the coin flip and then, at the bidding of coach Ken Collums, called the game’s first play: “Go deep.”

In every game, at every tick of the clock, that was always Rex’s call. Go deep.

Go for it all.

“It turns your heart, stirs your heart,” Gale said a few days later when he learned seizures had led Rex to hospice care. rough it all, Rex maintained perspective and courage and humor that inspired others. Abilene Christian men’s and women’s teams dedicated games and wins and seasons to his battle. He was a regular at practices at Abilene High, where coach Steve Warren made him part of the team. Abilene Christian High’s 2012 state championship basketball team dedicated every victory of the 2013 season to Rex’s memory.

On the night after Rex’s first MRI, a college student gave Rex his own Michael Young home run ball, caught on the fly and later signed by Josh Hamilton. It was the first contribution to a collection of signed baseballs, footballs, basketballs and jerseys, including a team-autographed helmet from the Chicago Bears, a gift from former Wildcat safety Danieal Manning (’07).

“He put up such a fight,” Manning said

Head coach Ken Collums allowed Rex to call the first play of the last home game of the season. ACU won, 22-16, in overtime over the University of West Alabama.

1984 Somphol Virojnvechapant has retired.

90 Thungkok, Suphanburi, Thailand. virojn_tk@hotmail.com Toni (Hale) Young is the university relations manager in Dallas for ACU. She previously served seven years as head of school at North Texas Christian Academy.

402 Orchard Lane, Allen, TX 75002. toni.young@acu.edu

1985 Dr. Ben Litalien earned his Doctor of Management degree from the University of Maryland University

College in 2012 and received the Karp Foundation Award. He is the founder and principal of Franchise Well, a consulting practice. 29 Derrick Lane, Stafford, VA 22554. ben@franchisewell.com

1990 Lester Towell earned his Ed.D. from Nova Southwestern University in August 2012. 2618 Vincent St., Brownwood, TX 76801. stowell@harrisbb.com

1992 BORN To Lupe and Tepi (Retherford) Alvarez, a girl, Alicia Charis, March 1, 2010. 7 Shady Brook Circle, Abilene, TX 79605. tepialvarez@yahoo.com To Denis (McGinnis) Thomas, a girl, Zadie Ann, Jan. 2, 2012. Denis is an assistant professor in Lipscomb University’s counseling program. 211 Radnor Street, Nashville, TN 37211. denisannthomas@yahoo.com

1991

ADOPTED

Angie (Upp) Cowart is an instructor and site coordinator for the Texas Tech University College of Education. 3409 156th St., Lubbock, TX 79423. angie.cowart@ttu.edu

By Rob and Amy (Cox) White, a girl, Hannah Ellen, May 30, 2012. Amy is an associate professor at Walden University. 14105 Mill House Drive, Matthews, NC 28105. profwhite71@gmail.com JEREMY ENLOW

studies in the International Tourism Program at Phuket Rajabhat University in Thailand. jdhphd@yahoo.com

GARY RHODES

Rex’s mother, Jill, and father, Lance, pray with him and other friends at church.

P4X shirts – “Pray for Rex” – were common sights on campus and around town.

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1993

2000

BORN

MARRIED

To Laine and Amy (Delashaw) Phillips, a boy, Kingston Lem, Aug. 20, 2012. 9822 Brandywine Circle, Austin, TX 78750. piperp71@aol.com

Stephen Borchers and Danette Salcedo, Oct. 7, 2012, in Grand Terrace, Calif. Stephen works with the San Bernardino County Department of Probations. Danette is a bilingual speech-language pathologist in the Pomona Unified School District. 26081 Iris Avenue, Unit C, Moreno Valley, CA 92555. d.borchers@hotmail.com

1995 MARRIED Thomas Zufelt and Melody Thornton, Sept. 29, 2012. Thomas is director of radiology at Texas Orthopedic Hospital. Melody is a paralegal for The Shanks Law Firm.

1117 Saint Charles St., Houston, TX 77003. melody@shankslaw.org

BORN To Chris and Alicia (Allen) Caldwell, a boy, Connor Christopher, Feb. 7, 2012. 12118 Melrose St., Overland Park, KS 66213. alicia.caldwell@gmail.com

1997 Britt Hadley is an attorney for staff counsel at Geico.

1701 Woodmont Drive, Flower Mound, TX 75022. bhadley@geico.com MARRIED Philip Stambaugh (’01) and Kimberly Sneed, Jan. 16, 2010. On April 30, 2012, they welcomed a girl, Hope Evalyn. 3213 Vintage Way, Bedford, TX 76021.

BORN To Bobby and Elizabeth (Branham) Smith, a boy, William Barrett, Sept. 20, 2011. P.O. Box 646, Skidmore, TX 78389. bsmith@stisd.esc2.net

1998 BORN To Stephen and Paige (Forbes) Toller, a girl, Leah Elizabeth, June 2, 2012. They have a son, Owen.

Paige was tenured and promoted to associate professor at University of Nebraska-Omaha. 1224 N. 147th Plaza, Omaha, NE 68154.

To Brad and Laura Currey, a girl, Brynn Ann, May 18, 2011. 4409 Ashford Drive, Dallas, TX 75214. brad_currey@yahoo.com To Jeff (’94) and Melissa (Mortieau) Hamm, a girl, Whitney, Sept. 14, 2012. 17741 S.W. Inkster Drive, Sherwood, OR 97140.

To Monty and Heather (Teague ’99) McCulley, a girl, Clara, April 14, 2011, and a boy, Hudson, Oct. 22, 2012. They have two other children.

1200 Harrisonburg Lane, College Station, TX 77845. montyandheather@gmail.com

1999 Joey Roberts is the communications minister at University Church of Christ. His wife, Lesley (Starnes M.A. ’11), teaches first grade in the Abilene ISD. 2309 Homestead Place, Abilene, TX 79601. joey@uccabilene.org

MARRIED Erik Olson and Leeanne Harshman, Feb. 11, 2012, in Dallas. Leeanne is a diagnostic radiologist and Erik is a managing director at Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss. 5313 Ridgedale Ave., Dallas, TX 75206. leeanne.harshman@gmail.com

BORN To Jason and Caren (Frost ’00) George, a girl, Zadie Jo, July 12, 2012. 4136 Mattie St., Austin, TX 78723. jtg95m@hotmail.com To James and Alisha (Gustafson) Miller, a girl, Makenna Joy, Oct. 30, 2012. 306 Appaloosa Drive, Copperas Cove, TX 76522.

To Jason and Laura (Monell) Stipp, a girl, Emma Claire, Aug. 4, 2012. 407 Susan Place, Neosho, MO 64850. lstipp@sbcglobal.net To Don and Melissa Bell, a girl, Alexandria Jade “A.J.”, Dec. 21, 2012. 2157 Oakland Drive, Abilene, TX 79603. don@insuranceoneagency.com To Mike and Mandy (Almond) Barrow, a boy, Myron Michael, Dec. 3, 2010. Mike is vice president of credit of administration at Frost Bank. 8784 Regal Royale Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76108.

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BORN To Randy and Vanessa (Ray) Malone, twin girls, Lydia Hope and Charlotte Liliana, Dec. 23, 2011. Vanessa is now a stay-at-home mom. 14109 Santa Fe Court, Haslet, TX 76052. vanessagailmalone@gmail.com To Jacob and Melissa (Sheldon) Ristau, a boy, Judah Oliver Sheldon, May 14, 2012. Jacob is assistant professor in visual and communication design at the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Melissa runs a freelance public relations consulting practice.

4094 Much Marcle Drive, Zionsville, IN 46077. jacobandmelissa@mac.com To Kevin and Brittany Smith, a boy, Holden Austin, May 10, 2012. 5 Alton Lane, Little Rock, AR 72211.

To Mike and Kara (Jarman) Schlentz, a boy, Ryder Quinn, March 23, 2011. 718 Beretta Drive, Abilene, TX 79602. schlentz44@gmail.com To James and Amber (Hagelstein) Russell, a son, Shepard “Shep” Robison, Feb. 18, 2013. They have two other children: Kelton and Kolt. 309 Ranchgate Trail, McGregor, TX 76657.

To Michael and Kate (Milstead ’99) Vein, a son, Bennett Michael, March 14, 2013. 742 S. River Road, Naperville, IL 60540.

2001 Amanda (Williams) Roman’s company, Pretzels Pleaze, was featured in the gift bags at the 2012 Emmy Awards. 13913 Roanoke Falls Drive, Cypress, TX 77429.

BORN To Alan and Kristina (Chanslor) Dennington, a girl, Scout Mercy, in Jan. 2012. 4323 Soda Ridge Road, Southlake, TX 76092. alandennington@hotmail.com To Josh and Shiloh (Webb ’04) Jones, a girl, Morgan Kay, Nov. 1, 2012. 5425 S. Delaware Street, Littleton, CO 80120. josh5179@gmail.com To Matthew and Jenny (Siebers) LaSeur, a boy, William Quincy, Sept. 30, 2012. 145 Pineland Drive, Copley, OH 44321. jlaseur@neo.rr.com To Brian and Ashley (Lepard) Cawthon, a boy, Boone Lepard, May 4, 2012. 3814 C.R. 2526, Royse City, TX 75189. ashleyecawthon@gmail.com To Russ and Elisabeth (Goldwater) Conser, a girl, Eleanor Elisabeth, April 15, 2012. 5710 62nd St., Lubbock, TX 79424.

To Justin and Christina (Givens) Thompson, a girl, Aubrey, April 8, 2012. 2218 Sheraton Drive, Carrollton, TX 75007. christinakjk@aol.com To Jason (’98) and Heather (Woody) Starnes, a boy, Henry Isaac, Jan. 2, 2013. 606 Alderwood St., Allen, TX 75002.

To Ricky and Allison (Bradfield) Lewis, a boy, Christopher Teague, April 26, 2012. 5416 Yellowstone Trail, Fort Worth, TX 76137.

2002 MARRIED Jeremy Christopher and Meredith Bills, Oct. 27, 2012, in Dallas. 5166 Westgrove Drive, Dallas, TX 75248.

BORN To Evan (’05) and Annalee (Luttrell) McCord, a girl, Mae Allene, Dec. 16, 2012. 7014 Alderney Drive, Houston, TX 77055.

To Giorgi and Lauren (Miller) Gonikishvili, a boy, Lucas David, Sept. 21, 2012. The family has a new address.

1833 86th Avenue Court, Greeley, CO 80634. laureningreeley@yahoo.com To David and Becca Cohrs, a boy, Travis James, Oct. 8, 2012. 11654 S. Maiden Hair Way, Parker, CO 80134. dbcohrs@msn.com To Darek and Stacie (Danley) Tatum, twin girls, Olivia Ruth and Norah Josephine, Aug. 1, 2012.

4409 Denver Drive, Plano, TX 75093.

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To Chris and Kelly (Harris) Baker, a boy, Nathanael Matthew, April 27, 2012. kellybaker2003@gmail.com To Jay and Rebecca (Blanton) Burton, a girl, Stella Von, March 23, 2012. 512 Post Oak Drive, Newark, TX 76071.

To Steve and Renae (Moore ’03) Cates, a boy, Jonathan Monroe, Oct. 11, 2012. They also have a daughter. 1181 Pleasant Oaks Drive, Lewisville, TX 75067.

ADOPTED

By Mathew and Regan (Burks) Williams, a boy, Bennett Roy, Feb. 3, 2012. 4113 Glenwood Drive, Brownwood, TX 76801. regan.williams@brownwoodisd.org

2003 BORN To Alex and Heather (Wright) Autry, a boy, Conlan, Dec. 19, 2012. Both parents are physicians at Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center. They also have a daughter, Teagan. 830 Misty Pines Circle, Woodland Park, CO 80863.

To Kenneth and Sarah Jane (Wilson) Nembu, a girl, Abigail, Nov. 13, 2012. 7124 Mesa Verde Trail, Fort Worth, TX 76137. sj_dubb@yahoo.com To Joshua and Sarah (Gressett) Ussery, a boy, Wyatt Dean, Dec. 28, 2012. 131 Lacy Oak Lane, Waxahachie, TX 75165. sarahm.ussery@gmail.com To Jeremy and Jill (Lester) Hale, a girl, Clara, May 23, 2012. P.O. Box 2465, Eureka, MT 59917.

To Micah (’99) and Sherrill (Welborn) Senter, a girl, Aubrey Gayle, July 31, 2012. 10 Gallop Way, Chesterfield, NJ 08515. senters1@gmail.com To Cory and Elizabeth (Lang) Pritchard, a girl, Hayley Elizabeth, Sept. 16, 2012. 1910 Cedar Glenn Way, #4201, Atlanta, GA 30339. epritcha@hotmail.com To Mark (’01) and Lauren (McDowell) Vaught, a boy, Wyatt Austin, Sept. 10, 2012. 2309 Horseshoe Bend, Temple, TX 76502. laurenvaught@gmail.com To Justin (M.S. ’07) and Laura (Roberts) Velten, a girl, Sadie Lyn, April 22, 2012. Justin earned his Ph.D. in communication from Regent University in May 2012. 3942 Hanover Place, Tyler, TX 75701. lauravelten@gmail.com To Justin and Allison (Brackeen) Brown, a boy, Daniel Ramon, Jan. 30, 2013. Justin is an attending physician at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville.

3899 Poplar Point Drive, Rockwall, TX 75032. alliebrown03@yahoo.com To Edward and Cheryl Anne (Johnson) Nowakowski, a girl,Lillian Joy, April 16, 2013. They also have a son. Edward and Cheryl work for United Airlines.

966 Sarasota Lane, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. alliebrown03@yahoo.com

2004 MARRIED Brian Turley and Heather Amend, Dec. 1, 2012, in Dallas. Heather earned her M.F.A. in creative writing from Full Sail University in June 2012. 4109 Niagara St., Garland, TX 75041. heather.amend@garlandisd.net

BORN To Brian and Catherine (Goode) Wick, a boy, Reed James, Nov. 25, 2012. 811 W. Camino Desierto, Tucson, AZ 85704. catherinegwick@gmail.com To Robert and Kimberly (Price) Williams, a boy, Kaiden Nicholas, Oct. 16, 2011. 1824 Morley St., Simi Valley, CA 93065.

To Leonard Walton and Amber Jolley, a boy, Ruger Wesson, July 13, 2012. 1810 Country Club Drive, #2, Crosby, TX 77532. alj00b@yahoo.com To Tucker and Keely (Nelson) Douglas, a boy, James Franklin, Oct. 31, 2012. 1102 Grinnell Drive, Richardson, TX 75081. keelyedouglas@gmail.com To Shane and Lori (Terhune) Burk, a boy, Elliott Newell, Sept. 18, 2012. 3512 97th St., Lubbock, TX 79423. sburk@lubbockisd.org To Joshua (’01) and Marla (Flippin) Morris, a boy, Noah James, Aug. 2, 2012. 17131 Grey Mist Drive, Friendswood, TX 77546. marlaflippin.morris@gmail.com To Brock (’02) and Sarah (Wilhite) Paulk, a girl, Audrey Kate, August 2012. 10121 Merrill Lane, Fort Worth, TX 76177.

To Michael and Amelia (Smith) Magallanes, a boy, Archer Luke, July 9, 2012. They adopted another child,

Matt Sanderson

Justin Michael (3), June 29, 2012. 5713 107th St., Lubbock, TX 79424. ammagallanes@att.net To Clint and Laura (Trammell) Patterson, a boy, Eli James, Aug. 9, 2012. 1376 C.R. 180, Hale Center, TX 79041. laura.patterson@hotmail.com To Michael and Meredith (Swim) Seibert, a boy, Carson Michael, July 23, 2012. 1748 Colorado Drive, Burleson, TX 76028. mlseibert@gmail.com To Karson and Sharon (Prude) Williams, a boy, Kaden David, and a girl, Katherine Elizabeth, Sept. 11, 2012. 11241 La Grange Drive, Frisco, Texas 75035-6406 willshar12@gmail.com

ADOPTED

By George (’02) and Rachel (McGuire) Richards, a girl, Wendy Rose, born Sept. 9, 2012. 1110 Tom Temple Drive, Lufkin, TX 75904.

2005 MARRIED Joshua Burns and Kelly Sargent, Dec. 30, 2012, in Austin. They live in Arlington, Va.

BORN To Karena Cordova Martinez, a boy, Justin Terrell Mark, Dec. 11, 2011. 4706 30th St. E., Dickinson, TX 77539.

To Jery and Camilette (Yeagley) Huddleston, a boy, Jery III, March 2, 2012. The family has spent four years overseas while Jery has served in the Air Force. PSC 37 Box 204, APO AE, 09459. camiidenise@hotmail.com To Dustin and Misty (Willcox) Lackey, a boy, Trent Alan, July 29, 2012. 2513 Goldenrod Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76111.

To Brian and Haylee (Moudy) Ezzell, a boy, Knox William, Oct. 9, 2012. 1308 Apache Drive, Richardson, TX 75080. haylee.ezzell@yahoo.com To Randy and Allison (Ford) Fuller, a boy, Barrett Allen, Aug. 19, 2012. Randy is the worship minister at the Fort Worth campus of the Village Church. 637 Westwood Drive, Richardson, TX 75080.

To Ryan and Laci (Bills) Newhouse, a girl, Jillian Alissa, May 24, 2012. 2505 Shoreline Drive, Keller, TX 76248.

JEREMY ENLOW

THE POWER OF INTERNSHIPS No one needs to explain the power of an internship to Chad Baker (’99).

As an Abilene Christian student, he received some valuable advice that led him to seek internships following his sophomore and junior years so he would have more than one experience on his resume by the time he graduated.

“It was a fantastic experience and with the internship earlier in my college career, allowed me the ability to tailor the rest of my studies at ACU with a specific professional focus,” said Baker, who works in Houston and is one of the university’s 2013 recipients of a Distinguished Alumni Citation (see page 24). “Each time I came back to work for him, the president of our office would ask me two questions: ‘How are you doing?’ and “How were your grades?’”

When it came time to expand his own business in 2012 as executive vice president and regional director of Jones Lang LaSalle, a real estate services company, Baker insisted on only interviewing ACU students for a talented intern to mentor. He discovered marketing and finance major Matt Sanderson of Lubbock. Baker immersed Sanderson that summer in a pilot program to help JLL develop its next generation of talent. When the young man received a bonus for his outstanding performance, he requested the check instead be made payable to Habitat for Humanity.

“Matt has Christ at the center of who he is, which certainly drives his excellence with work, follow-through and overall engagement. God certainly blessed our efforts in the eyes of my leaders, my clients and certainly, from my perspective,” said Baker.

Sanderson’s best graduation present in May 2013: a full-time job waiting in July alongside Baker, his internship mentor and new teammate at JLL. “I am incredibly blessed to be able to work alongside Chad,” Sanderson said.

“He has not only pushed me in my career, but also has challenged me to be a strong man of God, seeking to be a light among everyone I meet in the workplace.”䊱 To arrange an internship for an ACU student, visit acu.edu/careercenter or call 325-674-2473.

To Ryan (’04) and Kelley (Axelson) Wendt, a boy, Collin, June 14, 2012. 8315 Astwood Court, Spring, TX 77379. kelleywendt@cs.com

2006 Katie (Noah) Gibson is the communications coordinator for development and alumni relations at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her husband, Jeremiah (’07), is a staff therapist at South Bay Mental Health Center. 23 Hollis Ave., #2, Quincy, MA 02171. katieleigh83@gmail.com

BORN To Dylan and Keely (Holt) James, a boy, Bryant Reece, Dec. 26, 2012. 1724 Mapleton Drive, Dallas, TX 75228. keelyjames83@gmail.com To Aaron and Courtney Echols, a boy, Ripken Chase, July 30, 2012. 4549 Louisville Drive, Plano, TX 75093.

To Randy and Deanna (Cromwell) Sanchez, a girl, Isabella Grace, Sept. 22, 2012. 712 N. Ash St., Carlsbad, NM 88220. deanna1207@gmail.com To Luke (’04) and Amy (Roach) Senter, a boy, Henry, July 9, 2011. 1721 Bedford Oaks Drive, Bedford, TX 76021. senter.amy@gmail.com To Cole and Jeanette French, a girl, Kinslee Annalise, July 6, 2012. 2229 Wetherburne Way, Frederick, MD 21702. cole.m.french@gmail.com To Craig and Macy (Burleson) Davis, a girl, Rory Springs, Jan. 31, 2013. 1108 S. Valentine Drive, Sherman, TX 75090. ftbllcraig@gmail.com To Brad and Allison (Organ) Phillips, a boy, Hunter Alan, March 20, 2012. 14626 Palladio Drive, Cypress, TX 77429.

To Andrew and Morgan (Robinson) Midkiff, a boy, Eli Clark, Feb. 4, 2013. 26338 Longview Creek Drive, Katy, TX 77494. mermidkiff@yahoo.com

2007 Bethany Allen is pursuing her master’s degree in East Asian studies at Yale University. bethanyallen311@gmail.com

MARRIED Nathaniel Day and Lauren Hart, Nov. 17, 2012, in Austin. 4141 N. Henderson Road, #712, Arlington, VA 22203. laurenhartday@gmail.com

BORN To Zach and Brittany (Hardie ’08) Allen, a boy, Jasper Wade, Nov. 11, 2012. 7715 White Fawn Road, Arlington, TX 76002.

To Brant and Megan (Nuncio) Greathouse, a girl, Kynlee, Aug. 12, 2012. 3600 S. Highway 349, Midland, TX 79706.

To Cale and Blythe (Thompson) Smith, a girl, Eleanor Ruth, Aug. 1, 2012. 116 Woodbrook Court, Longview, TX 75604. blythe.smith21@gmail.com To Nicodemus (’08) and Vanessa (Herring) Mount, a boy, Orion Alexander, Sept. 4, 2012. The family has a new address. 73-4587 Old Mamalahoa Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.

2008 MARRIED Robert Wheeler and Fawn Grissett, Jan. 26, 2013.

525 C.R. 162, Abilene, TX 79601.

Jonathan Navarro and Valerie Goode, April 13, 2013. She is an education coordinator at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and he is an account manager at Homecare Homebase.

2752 Gaston Ave., #13111, Dallas, Texas 75226.

Christopher James Munch and Jenna Reneé Gillit, Aug. 3, 2012. jmunch8313@gmail.com BORN To Jonathan (’09) and Courtney (Clayton) Gann, a boy, Clayton Douglas, Oct. 12, 2012. 2917 Red Oak Circle, Abilene, TX 79606.

To Matt (’07) and Amy Kay Tietjen, a boy, Mason Murphy, Jan. 7, 2013. 705 Ireland Way, Wylie, TX 75098. ake_katn@hotmail.com To John (’07) and Chelsea (Heard) Giles, a girl, Rylynn Cadence, Sept. 14, 2012. 1709 Clyde St., Goldthwaite, TX 76844.

To Damien (’09) and Miranda (Potter) Lawrie, a girl, Rowan Yvonne, Aug. 22, 2012. 12 Boulder Crescent, Narara N.S.W. 2250, Australia.

To Louis (’09) and Dana (McArthur) Palacios Jr., a boy, Carter Nicholas, Nov. 20, 2012. 1913 Southwick Road, Rowlett, TX 75089 louisdanapal@gmail.com To Chessley and Megan (Gibbs ’09) Cavitt,

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a boy, Carter Nicholas, Nov. 20, 2012. P.O. Box 179, Sidney, TX 76474.

To Tanner and Blair (DeLaughter) Viertel, a boy, Jackson Marc, Jan. 22, 2013. 12829 Dorset Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76244.

ADOPTED

By Greg and Tiffany (Thompson ’09) Steele, a boy, Erik, born Nov. 29, 2012. 3505 Jennifer Lane, Rowlett, TX 75088.

2009 MARRIED Reece Mabry and Lauren Sanders, Oct. 28, 2012, in Houston. 1114 Morrow Ave., Apt. B, Nashville, TN 37204. lrs04c@acu.edu

Bree Hembree (’15), Gabrielle Thompson (’16) and Chelsea Emberlin (’16) sing with Pulse, an ACU student-led a cappella group.

BORN

STEVE BUTMAN

To Kanyon and Erika (Anthony) Brown, a girl, Brindle LoRee, Nov. 4, 2012. P.O. Box 15, Welch, TX 79377.

To Ryan and Keren (Pounds) Myers, a girl, Charlotte Rose, Nov. 30, 2012. 107A Williams Drive, Early, TX 76802. keren.miriam@gmail.com To Justin and Jana (Pittenger) Schofield, a boy, Levi Shafer, March 7, 2013. 6517 Fisher Road, Dallas, TX 75214. jjp04b@acu.edu

Dr. Elaine Heath

Dr. Walter Brueggemann

2010 Joel Ashby earned his Master of Arts degree in conflict resolution and reconciliation from ACU in December 2012. 858 Canyon Court, Abilene, TX 79601. jba09a@acu.edu

MARRIED Chandler Harris and Janna Kasinger (’12), Sept. 22, 2012.

BORN To Drew (’09) and Kimberlee (Shelton) Lowry, a boy, Liam, Dec. 11, 2012. 7541 Red Willow Road, Fort Worth, TX 76133.

2011 BORN

2012

STEVE BUTMAN

To Judith Mendoza, a boy, Aaron Isaac, May 26, 2012. 3211 W. Illinois Ave., Midland, TX 79701. judymendoza12@hotmail.com James Jones V earned his master’s degree from ACU in December 2012. He lives in Houston. james.e.jones5@gmail.com

Summit 2012

BORN To Ivan and Juliana (Rosic) Kovacevic, a girl, Gabriela Mae, Oct. 18, 2012. Klinovec 6, Zagreb, Croatia, 10040. jjrosic@yahoo.com To Matthew and Kyera (Tabor) Smith, a boy, Matthew, May 26, 2011. 4600 Coachlight Road, #162, Abilene, TX 79603. knoelt@hotmail.com

Take a look back at ACU’s 106th annual event See Bonus Coverage at acu.edu/acutoday

PAUL WHITE

The New Monk Warriors

(Continued from Page 80)

need something, a drink or a plate of food, so we have to look around and notice people’s needs and fill them for one another,” Randy said.

The group also practices “dwelling in the Word.” This means the group reads a section from the Sermon on the Mount then asks questions such as, “If we took this teaching about loving our enemies seriously what would we do?” They formulate what they call “challenges” or “experiments” to go out and live this out.

Randy reports that many Tau Chi Alpha Monk Warriors who were struggling with their spiritual lives have more confidence and the relationships are pretty dynamic after time in the group.

“I think they would tell you it's made a huge difference,” he says. “It’s a three-and-a-half year process, but the payoff is 10 years down the road."

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to change the heart as well as the mind is central to what Randy is doing.

The Monk Warriors do not live together in one house, though some of the members room together. While some religious orders are cloistered, the Monk Warriors are very sensitive about not becoming elitist, self-absorbed or isolationist.

How do you instill values in a group of people in ways that change their lives yet doesn’t isolate them? How can they really impact their world? Their approach is to have a covenant with one another and live it out in the larger world.

“We learn monastic disciplines but do them in everyday life,” says Randy. “So we don’t plan to have a monastic softball league.

The students are engaging the world, identifying places on this campus where they can be salt and light. Our light and life don’t revolve around this group. We are out there living this radical life, not spending all our time meeting with each other. And it has worked better than I thought it would.”䊱

A CU TODAY BONUS COVE RAGE

Randy Harris from ACU’s College of Biblical Studies presented "The School of Christlikeness" on Wednesday afternoon.

STEVE BUTMAN

ACU senior Brittany Partridge taught a class on combating modern-day slavery and her role in co-founding the Red Thread Movement as a college student.

GARY RHODES

Randy Harris and David McQueen (’88) had "Big-Hearted Conversations Across the Denominational Divide."

GARY RHODES

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BC25

Dr. Jerry Taylor of ACU’s College of Biblical Studies was a theme speaker.

His message was based on Hosea 13:1-14.

STEVE BUTMAN

Summit is for all ages.

STEVE BUTMAN

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Exhibitors displayed their products in the Hall of Servants, Moody Coliseum concourse and McGlothlin Campus Center.

GARY RHODES

Chris Goldman (’87) spoke Monday night from Hosea 4:1-12.

STEVE BUTMAN

Edward Fudge (’67) discussed his book, Hell: A Final Word.

STEVE BUTMAN

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BC27

Kent Rogers served as a

ACU theatre student Clint Diaz performs “Framed Pictures” during “The Word in Motion” drama presentation.

ACU students participated in a drama presentation, “The Word In Motion,” in Fulks Theatre. This is a scene from “Haleigh’s Song,” and features the theatre department’s Acting Through Movement class.

STEVE BUTMAN

Collin Packer (’05) was a theme speaker on Monday morning. His message came from Hosea 2:1-15.

Stacy B. Jones (’06) taught a class on why young adults leave church and how we can bridge the generation gap while fostering healthy multi-generational ministries.

STEVE BUTMAN

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STEVE BUTMAN

worship leader on Monday morning.

Child care was provided at Hillcrest Church of Christ.

STEVE BUTMAN

BRITNI TATUM

Jeff Christian (’94) spoke Tuesday morning from Hosea 5 and 6.

Painter and art educator Emily Jean Hood shared her passion for creative practice as a spiritual discipline.

GARY RHODES

STEVE BUTMAN

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BC29

Keith Lancaster led worship on Wednesday night.

STEVE BUTMAN

Poet Darren Hagood and artist MA Double participated in a Poetry Slam and Hip Hop Concert in the Chapel on the Hill.

BRITNI TATUM

STEVE BUTMAN

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Dr. Mark Hamilton of ACU’s Graduate School of Theology

ACU students are active participants in many Summit classes and events.

BRITNI TATUM PAUL WHITE

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BC31

Mitch Wilburn (’90) was the Sunday night keynote speaker, with Hosea 1:1-11 as his text.

STEVE BUTMAN

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IN MEMORIAM 1938 Bernard Shelan, 96, died Nov. 21, 2012. He was born July 17, 1916, in St. Louis and grew up in Philadelphia and later, Roscoe, Texas. He hitch-hiked to Abilene to join the ACU football team as a 115-pound walk-on running back with the nickname of “Mousie,” setting a kickoff return record that stood for 20 years, and earning a scholarship. Bernie served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and married Sylvia Krawitz in 1943. They took over Shelansky’s Dry Goods, the family’s landmark business in Roscoe. Bernie was preceded in death by two brothers, Harold Shelan and Bobby Shelan. Among survivors are his wife of 69 years, Sylvia; three sons, Ronald Shelan, Charles Shelan and Evan Shelan; seven granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren.

Maxine (McCaleb) Hill, 94, died July 10, 2011, in Sugar Land. She was born March 26, 1917, in Idabel, Okla., and married Landon Hill (’36) Nov. 5, 1938. She taught reading in the Abilene ISD for 25 years after raising her children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Landon; her twin sister, Geraldine (McCaleb ’38) Shultz; and another sister, D’Nola (McCaleb ’44) Holding. Among survivors are three daughters, Judy (Hill ’64) Avera, Jill (Hill ’67) Giesecke and Jana (Hill ’75) Rizzuto; two sons, Dr. Jick (’73) and Jeff (’77) Hill; 12 grandchildren, eight of whom attended ACU; and 21 great-grandchildren.

1946 Evelyn Cox Templeton Fletcher, 88, died Jan. 10, 2013, in Abilene. She was born Jan. 9, 1925, in Fisher, Ark., and grew up in Clovis, N.M. She married Ed Templeton May 4, 1945. He preceded her in death in 1980.

Evelyn married Dr. Milton Fletcher (’47) June 25, 1985.

He died March 20, 2013, in Fort Worth (see page 79).

Survivors include two sons, Richard (’73) and Steve (’78) Templeton; three stepsons, Eric (’72), Keith (’76) and Paul (’79) Fletcher; a stepdaughter, Phyllis (Fletcher ’82) McNiel; a sister; four grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren.

1949 Idus England, 91, died May 28, 2012, in Shawnee, Okla. He was born March 30, 1921, in Gans, Okla., and served in the Quarter Master Corps during World War II. He married Winifred Broyles (’51) in 1946. Idus served as a minister for Churches of Christ in Texas and Oklahoma for more than 50 years. He is survived by his wife, Winifred; two daughters; a son; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Harry Mancel Whitlow, 86, died Sept. 23, 2012, in Amarillo. He was born April 10, 1926, in Temple. He worked for 38 years in management at Pantex, until his retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Charlotte (McLaughlin ’48) Whitlow; two sons, Charles (’74) Whitlow and Dow Whitlow; two daughters; two sisters, Celeste Morris and Thelma (Whitlow ’56) Gibbons; 15 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.

1950 John Tyson Sr., 86, died Oct. 17, 2012, in Abilene.

He was born Jan. 26, 1926, in Agnes, Texas, grew up in Saginaw and graduated from high school in Fort Worth.

He served in the Navy from 1944-46 as a lookout aboard the USS Colorado, earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery in the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in the Philippine Islands. He earned a B.S. degree in business from ACU. After graduation, he worked as a civilian instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls and later, with the Social Security Administration in San Angelo and Fort Worth, retiring in 1988. He married Frances Stewart

(’49) June 23, 1956. Following her death June 10, 1993, he cared for his mother-in-law, Lucy Stewart, and his mother, who lived with him in his home until their deaths in 1996 and 2000, respectively. He served as a deacon, elder, and Bible class teacher at congregations in Wichita Falls, San Angelo, Hurst and Abilene. Among survivors are a son, Dr. John Tyson Jr. (’81); a daughter, Lu Anne Tyson (’83); and three grandchildren.

1952 Margaret King Ragus, 82, died Oct. 5, 2012, in Lubbock. She was born June 17, 1930, in Nashville, Tenn., and grew up in Memphis. She married Pete Ragus (’51) Dec. 15, 1949. She worked in the Lubbock ISD for 17 years.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Pete; four daughters, Margaret Ragus (’73), Donna Orr, Kay Ragus and Barbara Gross; a son, Jim Ragus; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandsons.

Delma attended ACU in her 40s and worked as a dorm mother at Nelson Hall for five years. She married William “Clinton” Brazle (’77) in 1972. He survives her, as do a son, former ACU trustee Herb Butrum (’71); two daughters; four stepsons, Mike, Mark, Paul (’77) and Peter Brazle; 31 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

1967 Judith Ann (Riggins) Barker died Sept. 15, 2012.

She taught English in the Brandywine School District of Wilmington, Del., for 19 years. She is survived by her husband, J. Michael Barker (’65); a son, Nathan Barker (’91); a daughter, Kymwauna Mayazi; and three grandchildren.

1968

Peggy Jean Davis Terry died Aug. 16, 2012.

She is survived by her husband, Doug Terry; three daughters, Janis (Terry ’84) Collins, Diane Terry (’86) and Kay Lynn Schultz; and a son, Jim Terry.

Linda (Fowler) Francis, 66, died Dec. 30, 2012.

She was born Aug. 26, 1946, in Vernon and married Pete Francis Aug. 21, 1976, in Dallas. She served her church and community in many ways. Linda is survived by her husband, Pete; a son, Jeff Francis (’01); a daughter, Jennifer Francis (’03); her mother, Sue Fowler; a sister, Rebecca Fowler; and one granddaughter.

1955

1969

James “Jim” Edwin Shafer, 84, died Oct. 16, 2012, in River Bend, N.C. He was born Sept. 19, 1928, in Brownwood and married Norma Jean Dickson in 1954. He earned master’s degrees in biochemistry and psychology, and worked for the U.S. Department of Defense for 30 years. He married Iris Shafer in 1982.

She survives him, as do three daughters, Leslie Shafer (’80), Mary Wilkins and Sarah (Shafer ’89) McCord; a son, John Shafer; three stepchildren; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Forrest David “Dave” Odom, 72, died Aug. 25, 2012, in Abilene. He was born Sept. 17, 1939, in Jacksonville and grew up in Sweetwater. He served in the Marine Corps from 1957-61 and married Judy Amundson (’69) July 19, 1970. He later earned a master’s degree in education from ACU and spent many years teaching computer classes. He is survived by his wife, Judy; two sons; a brother; a sister; and two granddaughters.

Dan Frost died Feb. 5, 2012, of a stroke. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ACU, then worked as a history teacher at Gladstone High School in Gladstone, Ore. He is survived by his wife, Gae Frost; a daughter, Gina; a son, Ty; and other relatives.

Curtis Ray Foster, D.D.S., 64, died Feb. 12, 2012.

He was born Aug. 20, 1947, in Artesia, N.M. He earned his D.D.S. from Baylor College of Dentistry and practiced dentistry in New Mexico and Texas. Curtis is survived by his wife, Sharon; his mother; two brothers; three sons, Jeremy (’98), Micah (’03) and Bron Foster; two daughters, Misty Carpenter and Brooke Foster; two stepchildren; seven grandchildren; and his former wife, Linda (Judkins ’70) Foster.

1953

1957 B.B. Stevens, 78, died Nov. 29, 2012, in Fort Worth.

He was born Jan. 19, 1934, in Mineral Wells and married Geraldine “Jerry” Pierce Dec. 26, 1952. He served as a Church of Christ minister, worked as director of development at a foster home, and later ran a trophy shop. He sang baritone in the Gospelaires quartet for more than three decades. B.B. is survived by his wife, Jerry; a daughter, Stephany Stevens; a son, Brad Stevens (’82); three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

1958 Leon E. Tester, 90, died Nov. 8, 2012. He was born April 4, 1922, and attended Cascade College before serving in the Navy. He married Marion Anderson Aug. 5, 1949. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ACU. Leon and Marion spent eight years as missionaries in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and adopted two Brazilian children. Marion preceded Leon in death.

He is survived by two sons, Jon Tester (’87) and Claude Tester, and five grandsons.

1960 Neil Sconiers, 75, died Aug. 10, 2011, in Iraan, Texas.

He worked as a teacher, coach and principal, and served as Pecos County Commissioner. He is survived by his wife, Alicia (Holmes ’57) Sconiers; two daughters, Necia Graham and Sandra Sconiers (’94); two sons, John (’84) and Joe Sconiers (’86); and two granddaughters, Morgan (’12) and Peyton Sconiers (’15).

1965 Robert “Dwain” Adcock died Sept. 23, 2012.

He is survived by his wife, Joy (Kirkpatrick ’69) Adcock; a son, Lance; a daughter, Keri; and two grandchildren.

1966 Delma Louise Barrett Butrum Brazle, 91, died Sept. 16, 2012, in Bozeman, Mont. She was born Dec. 30, 1920, in Webb City, Mo., and grew up in Texas. She married Harold Butrum in 1939. He preceded her in death in 1962.

1973 Dr. Phillip Wayne Smith, 61, died Aug. 27, 2012.

He was born Sept. 30, 1950, in Augusta, Ga., and married Lena Mae Schnaubert (’75) July 1, 1972. While at ACU, he was a four-year letterman on the football team. He served as minister for Churches of Christ in Texas and Ohio until his death, and also worked as an insurance agent. He is survived by his wife, Lena; a son, Chad Smith (’96); a daughter, Angie Carnes; two sisters, Parmella Smith (’74) and Juanita Smith; and five grandchildren.

1978 Eileen Laverne (Pace) Schmidt, 59, died Feb. 29, 2012 in Collierville, Tenn. She was born Dec. 31, 1953, in DeKalb, Ill. Prior to earning her B.S.Ed. degree from ACU, Eileen was the first woman to graduate from the preacher training school at Great Lakes Christian College in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. She married Gary Schmidt (’80) Dec. 20, 1980. Eileen did mission work in Costa Rica for two years through ACU’s MARK program.

She is survived by her husband, Gary; a daughter, Brionne (Schmidt) Beckman; her father, Rue Pace Sr.; a sister, Laura Wilson; and a brother, Rue Pace Jr. She was preceded in death by her mother, Coravallene Pace, and a sister, Corinne Durfee.

1979 Walker Don Weathers, 54, died July 16, 2012.

He was born Aug. 21, 1957, in Columbus, Miss., and grew

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“For me, there was no greater challenge or joy than sitting at the feet of a master and being tutored in how to read a text closely.”

up in East Texas. After graduating from ACU, he earned his J.D. from Baylor Law School. He worked as a general practice lawyer in Tyler, Texas, and later founded a law firm with his brother. He also held his private pilot’s license and helicopter license. Walker is survived by his wife, Rhonda (Sylvester); his parents, Don (’55) and Wanda (Walker ’57) Weathers; two brothers, Wade (’83) and Wynne (’88) Weathers; a daughter, Grace Weathers; and a son, Ross Weathers.

1980

– DR. KEN CUKROWSKI (’84)

Evelyn Annette Fowler Jordan died Sept. 7, 2012. While at ACU, she appeared in several theatrical productions and was a Sing Song hostess in 1980. She is survived by her husband, Don Jordan; a daughter; a son; her mother; and a sister, Teresa (Fowler ’78) Jones.

1990 GERALD EWING

Malherbe was a beloved scholar, professor and churchman Although Dr. Abraham “Abe” Malherbe (’54) passed away in September 2012 (see page 79), his legacy remains alive through his scholarship and church work.

His vast knowledge of the Graeco-Roman milieu of early Christianity, the Pauline corpus, and New Testament scholarship – combined with a keen eye for nuances in the Greek text – created a rich experience for his students.

He was incredibly attentive to detail; I can remember him spending a whole two-hour graduate class on just a few verses from 1 Thessalonians. I marveled at his precision. I try to recreate those experiences for my students and develop their capacity to read Scripture in a careful way. And when I tell them, “Read Luke 1:1-4 and tell me 10 things about the author, the recipient and the Gospel of Luke,” they look at me with the same incredulous expression I had when Abe posed similar questions in my classes with him. For me, there was no greater challenge or joy than sitting at the feet of a master and being tutored in how to read a text closely.

Abe’s attention to detail was not simply for detail’s sake; he loved the message of Scripture and called students to think critically about their scholarship. Students who took his classes left with both a deep knowledge of the Bible and a love of the text; reading was a sacred task and thus should be approached with appropriate rigor and respect.

His high standards were legendary – often intimidating – but they stemmed from his respect for God’s Word.

I remember working extremely hard on a presentation on a passage in Matthew and feeling pretty good about it, until I was challenged by his comment, “Good work, Cukrowski, but what is the significance of your work for our understanding of Matthew?” He was right, of course; we weren’t done until we had grappled with the implications of our scholarship.

Abe loved his heritage in Churches of Christ; he particularly valued our commitment to Scripture and to truth.

He paid tribute to his Christian heritage in a variety of ways, such as contributing generously to ACU’s Brown Library.

Another time, when ACU honored the aging Eldred Echols (’42), the preacher who had baptized Abe in South Africa, I saw great emotion well up in Abe’s eyes as he reminisced and thanked his mentor.

Every year at the national meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, even though he maintained a busy schedule as an internationally renowned scholar, Abe always made time to speak with and encourage his former students.

We students in the graduate and doctoral programs at Yale Divinity School were privileged to see Abe in the classroom and at church. It would not be an exaggeration to say Abe carried that little congregation at Whitney Avenue for decades, both with his leadership and his pocketbook. Several times during my 10 years there, Abe did the weekly preaching in the absence of a full-time minister; additionally, he was the Sunday morning Bible class teacher for much of that time.

As rigorous as he could be in the classroom, he was as pastoral in the congregation to brothers and sisters of all races and classes and education levels.

One of his many talents was an ability to converse with anyone on subjects as wide-ranging as detective novels and his favorite film, The African Queen, to rugby and eschatology. I wonder just how many visitors to New Haven he and his gracious wife, Phyllis, have housed and fed.

Even though future generations sadly won’t be able to hear Abe Malherbe’s resonant South African accent as he personally instructs them, they’ll continue to hear his voice through the many writings, students, preachers and churches he so strongly influenced. 䊱 – DR. KEN CUKROWSKI

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James Michael “Jimmy” Womack, 44, died March 23, 2013, in an automobile accident near Pecos, Texas. He was born June 16, 1968, in Corvallis, Ore., and graduated from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station in 1986. He attended Pepperdine University before graduating from ACU. A counselor for at-risk youth in the Texas Hill Country, he was an avid fly fisherman who traveled the world pursuing his hobby. Among survivors are his parents, Dr. James (’64) and Raby (Beakley ’63) Womack; a sister, Wendy (Womack ’90) Hill; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

2015 Lindsey Lee Smith, 20, died Jan. 25, 2013. Born June 29, 1992, she graduated from New Braunfels High School and was a junior advertising/PR major at ACU. She was a 2012 graduate of the the Disney College Program. She had three great passions: her faith, the performing arts and seeing the world.

She starred in several high school and community theatre productions, and was a coach at TBarM Sports Camp.

She sang on the praise team with her father at the New Braunfels Church of Christ and was active in ACU’s faith-based drama troupe, Seekers of the Word. Among survivors are her parents, Todd (’87) and Linda (LaBounty ’87) Smith; two brothers, Connor and Dawson; grandparents Joe and Jana Smith and John and Nancy LaBounty; a grandmother, Barbara Brigance; and great-grandparents Ben and Loretta Smith and Chet and Bonnie Norton.

OTHER FRIENDS Dortha (McElroy ’87) Greenlee, 77, died Oct. 12, 2011, in Abilene. She was born May 5, 1934, in Breckenridge and married Charles Greenlee Dec. 10, 1949. She worked at ACU in the World Famous Bean cafeteria, the computer center, the Office of Admissions, and the restoration history library. Dortha is survived by her husband, Charles; three sons, Bob (’74), Ed (’79) and John Greenlee (’87); a daughter, Deborah (Greenlee ’76) Dannheim; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Betty Marlar Gainer, 88, died Oct. 3, 2012, in Irving.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Homer Gainer, a former ACU trustee. Homer and Betty received ACU’s Christian Service Award in 1990. She is survived by two daughters, Dell Anne (Gainer ’70) Patterson and Lucy (Gainer ’72) Brady; a son, Joe Gainer (’79); six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Homer and Betty Gainer

ACU Remembers: Sanders, Fletcher, Sorrells, Winkles, Leverett, Malherbe, Fry, Williams, Wilkinson, Jinkerson, Lana Robert Lee“R.L.” Sanders (’44), 89, died Jan. 7, 2013, in San Antonio. He was born April 7, 1923, near Anson, Texas, and served in the Navy during World War II. He earned an M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and worked for Arthur Andersen, later becoming a partner in the company. He taught at Trinity University and volunteered with numerous charitable organizations. R.L. served as an ACU trustee from 1971-86. He is survived by his second wife, Shirley (Mays) Sanders; a sister, Marjorie (Sanders ’50) Bourland; a daughter, Laura (Sanders ’70) Otey; a son, Steve Sanders (’75); two stepsons, Dr. Scott (’78) and John (’90) Mays; a stepdaughter, Sandy (Mays ’80) Hood; five grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren.

Dr. Milton Birdwell Fletcher (’47), 88, died March 20, 2013, in Fort Worth. Born March 14, 1925, he grew up in Hamlin. After participating in the Navy V-12 program at Texas Christian University, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Midshipmen School at Notre Dame University. He was assistant navigator aboard the USS LST 871, eventually serving as the executive officer and commanding officer. He married Billie Gene Hunter on Jan. 29, 1947. Milton worked in Christian higher education administration for 40 years at Rochester (Mich.) College (as business manager, vice president and president) and at ACU (as executive director of public relations and development, and founding executive director of The ACU Foundation). He also served as development officer and vice president for Christian Care Centers, and vice president for planned giving and development at Disability Resources of Abilene. Milton was a deacon for University Church of Christ and elder for Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene, and an elder for the Rochester Church of Christ. He was awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees by ACU (1980), Pepperdine University (1981) and Lubbock Christian University (1983), and an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Oklahoma Christian University (1984). His first wife, Gene, died in 1984 after a long battle with cancer. He married Evelyn Cox Templeton (’46) on June 25, 1985, and she died Jan. 10, 2013. Survivors include three sons, Eric (’72), Keith (’76) and Paul (’79) Fletcher; a daughter, Phyllis (Fletcher ’82) McNiel; two stepsons, Richard (’73) and Steve (’78) Templeton; two brothers, Harold Fletcher (’45) and W.L. Fletcher III (’55); and a sister, Marylyn (Fletcher ’60) Swaim; five grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren.

James Carroll Sorrells (’48), 84, died Nov. 25, 2012. He was born April 9, 1928 and grew up in Waco.

He married Helen Stewart (’49) July 2, 1949. Jim had a long career in business and served as an ACU trustee from 1977-97, returning to ACU to earn his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy in the mid-1980s.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; two sons, James (’75) and Steve (’84) Sorrells; a daughter, Sharon (Sorrells ’78) Rudloff; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Walter “Dub” Winkles (’48), 88, died Oct. 27, 2012, in Abilene. He was born Oct. 24, 1924, near Slaton and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He married Fran Moser (’49) Feb. 8, 1947. Dub taught and coached in Abilene, then pursued other business ventures before joining the ACU staff as director of recreation in 1968. He served in that role for 18 years and was recently inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame. Dub is survived by his wife, Fran; two daughters, Sara (Winkles ’75) Bass and Susan (Winkles ’71) Lindsey; a son, Shane Winkles (’79); a brother, Carlton Winkles (’60); five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Margie Pistole Leverett (’49), 86, died Jan. 2, 2013, in Abilene. She was born Dec. 6, 1927. and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ACU. She married Wayman Pistole in 1948; they later adopted two children.

Margie was an assistant professor of business and management sciences at ACU from 1967-89. Wayman preceded her in death in 1997, and she married Vernon Ray Leverett in 1998. He preceded her in death in 2003.

Margie is survived by a son; a daughter; two brothers;

two granddaughters; and five great-grandchildren.

Dr. Abraham J. Malherbe (’54), 82, died Sept. 28, 2012. He was born May 15, 1930, in Pretoria, South Africa, and after graduating from high school spent several years working as a surveyor and then a draftsperson in the Electrical Supply Commission of South Africa. He came to the United States in 1951 to attend ACU, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and married Phyllis Melton (’56) in 1953. From Abilene, Malherbe went to Harvard, where he earned an S.T.B. degree in 1957 and a Th.D. degree in 1963. He also spent a year at the University of Utrecht working on the Corpus Hellenisticum project with W.C. van Unnik (1960-61). He was selected the Harvard Divinity School Commencement Greek Orator in 1957. In the same year, he and Pat Harrell co-founded Restoration Quarterly, a scholarly journal associated with the Churches of Christ.

Malherbe returned to ACU to teach New Testament and early Christianity (1963-69), then went back to Harvard as a visiting scholar in 1967-68 and then to Dartmouth College (1969-70). His subsequent move to Yale Divinity School in 1970 helped make YDS one of the international centers of New Testament study and scholarship.

He was a prolific writer and editor of other works.

Books he authored included Paul and the Thessalonians: The Philosophical Tradition of Pastoral Care; Paul and the Popular Philosophers; and his Anchor Bible Commentary, The Letters to the Thessalonians. The esteem in which he is held as a scholar is evident in two Festschriften: Greeks, Romans, and Christians and Early Christianity and Classical Culture. He was working on a commentary on the Pastorals for Hermeneia when he died. Malherbe’s essays have been collected and will appear next year in two volumes published by Brill. He received Abilene Christian’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1994 and was named ACU’s oustanding teacher for the 1966-67 school year.

He helped establish the Friends of the ACU Library in 1966, and the Malherbe Library Endowment at ACU. Malherbe was the library’s speaker in March 2011 for its Spring Dinner. In 2005, he was the featured speaker at ACU’s 19th annual Carmichael-Walling Lectures. Among survivors are his wife, Phyllis; daughters Selina (Malherbe) Brooks and Cornelia (Malherbe ’82) Kleman; a son, Abraham J. “Jan” Malherbe; a sister, Lettie Greyling; brothers Claude Malherbe and Chris Malherbe; and three grandchildren.

See story on page 78.

David M. Fry (’55), 82, died Sept. 23, 2012, in Abilene. He was born Aug. 8, 1930, in Burnett and married Jo Ann “Jodie” Howard (’51) in 1951. He served as president of two banks and was later president of Casa Bonita Restaurants.

He also served as an advisor in ACU’s College of Business Administration during the final 10 years of his career. David is survived by his wife, Jodie; three daughters, Diana (Fry ’74) Morrell, Julie (Fry ’79) Dawson and Amy (Fry ’88) Castro; a son, Don Fry (’76); 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Donald Ray “Big Don” Williams (’59), 75, died Nov. 15, 2012, in Chickasha, Okla. He was born Sept. 22, 1937 in Cyril, Okla., and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees (’74) in Bible from ACU. After serving as associate minister for churches in Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, the Broadway congregation in Lubbock hired him as one of the first youth ministers in Churches of Christ. A respected pioneer and leader in that field, he launched the Youth Ministers’ Seminar in Lubbock in 1969 and spoke at more than 1,000 youth and college rallies, camps and leadership conferences in his career. He served 20 years at Pepperdine University as associate director of church services, including 17 years as an adjunct religion faculty member.

In 1991, he received Pepperdine University’s Christian Service Award. His alma mater presented him with a Change the World award during the university’s Centennial in 2006. Williams was coordinator of special outreach projects in ACU’s Office of Admissions from 1992-2002.

Leatrice Joy (Fisher) Watson Wilkinson, 82, died Sept. 30, 2012. She was born April 1, 1930, in Bastrop County and grew up in Kermit and Colorado City. She married James Watson Dec. 22, 1946. He preceded her in death in 1986. Leatrice worked at ACU from 1965-90, including in the president’s, chancellor’s and Lectureship office. She married Dr. Harold Wilkinson, professor emeritus of education, May 1, 1990. He preceded her in death in 2006. She is survived by three daughters, Laura (Watson ’70) Cooper, Gloria (Watson ’71) Daniel and Lynne (Watson ’73) Hall; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Dr. Darryl L. Jinkerson, 54, died Oct. 12, 2012.

He was born Jan. 21, 1958, in East St. Louis, Ill., and grew up in O’Fallon, Ill. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Harding University, a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Northeastern Louisiana University and a Ph.D. in applied psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He married Cindy Madden Aug. 11, 1979. Darryl worked for Arthur Andersen, LLP, and later served as vice president of Service Companies in Rosedale, Ill. For 10 years, he served as president of the Rockford Christian Camp. Darryl joined the ACU faculty in 2002, serving as associate professor of management in the College of Business Administration.

During his first year, he received ACU’s Teacher of the Year award; he later served four years as department chair.

Before coming to ACU, he taught as an adjunct professor at Judson College in Elgin, Ill., and North Central College in Naperville. He led the study abroad program for COBA at ACU and accompanied many groups of students on trips to Honduras, China and England, and to Australia in summer 2012. He also traveled to Honduras with Mission Lazarus and Torch Missions, building a house there in his father’s memory. He was an elder of the University Church of Christ. Darryl is survived by his wife, Cindy; three daughters, Whitney (Jinkerson ’07) Olson, Rachel (Jinkerson ’11) Goodman and Amanda (Jinkerson ’13) Carpenter; his mother, LaVerne Jinkerson; two brothers, Richard (’75) and Perry (’82) Jinkerson; a sister, Cheryl Hamm; and a granddaughter.

Beth R. (Robnett) Lana, 88, died March 15, 2013, in Abilene. She was born Feb. 17, 1925, in Ryan, Okla.

She graduated from Ryan High School and earned a B.A. degree in music education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in elementary education from the Univeristy of Oklahoma. She taught first grade in Duncan, Okla., from 1957-74 and was a grade school principal at Fort Worth Christian School from 1974-79. She served as administrative coordinator and academic advisor in the ACU Department of Language and Literature throughout the 1980s and ’90s. In 1946 she married Bert Lana, who was ACU’s security police chief from 1980-89. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Harold Robnett and Don Robnett. Among survivors are her husband; a son, Philip Lana (’72); and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Dr. Angela Laird Brenton, 60, died May 8, 2013, after a three-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born Jan. 3, 1953, in Duncan, Okla. Her extensive experience in higher education included teaching and administrative roles at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian University, the University of Kansas, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, ACU (where she was dean of the Graduate School and associate provost for research and service), Missouri State University, and Pepperdine University.

At the time of her death, she had been provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs for less than a year at Western Carolina University. She received many honors, including being named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. Among survivors are her husband, W. Keith Brenton; her mother, Harriette Laird; a son, Matt; and a daughter, Laura.

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Second GLANCE

By Greg Taylor

The New Monk Warriors Greg Taylor is lead minister at Garnett Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla.

He is author (with Randy Harris) of Living Jesus: How the Greatest Sermon Ever Will Change Your Life for Good. This article he authored appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal and is used with permission.

JEREMY ENLOW

After studying contemplative and missional communities, he learned not to be afraid of the word rule or religious order, as countercultural as that might seem. A rule is simply a way of life that a group of people commit to live.

Two books that helped him understand how to establish A few years ago, I was editing a small Christian magazine, orders outside the context of a monastery: The New Friars and we had commissioned a series of articles from Randy Harris,

by Scott Bessenecker and Punk Monk by Andy Freeman and who had become popular for his “standup theologian” style of Pete Greig, who come out of the British 24/7 prayer movement teaching [Bible and preaching] at Abilene Christian University. and build on Benedictine disciplines.

He sent me his first article hand-written and by fax.

He devised a plan. He would form a group of freshmen and Who hand-writes articles, and who uses fax machines anymore? develop a three-and-a-half year plan, taking in a new group every Randy’s handwriting was difficult to decode, and I was a little year and having the upper-classmen continue on in the group. frustrated, but what I did not know then was that he wrote The name for the group is Tau Chi Alpha – one of the things it that piece in the middle of his 40-day retreat at Lebh Shomea stands for is “Toughest Christians house of prayer in the Texas desert.

Alive.” They are quick to say that this He had no computer, no Internet. is an aspiration not a claim. They refer This 40-day prayer retreat changed to themselves as “Monk Warriors.” the life of Randy Harris. It started “We want to have the fearlessness when he asked himself, “What would of warriors but the discipline of happen if I gave God my full attention monks,” Randy says. “As warriors for 40 days?” our weapons are not guns and swords The fact that I did not get the but love and prayer. We’re trying to context of Randy’s hand-written piece develop skill using weapons that the illustrates an important truth: I can’t Spirit of God has given us.” fully understand someone’s prayer The Monk Warriors believe journey until I pay attention that life change comes by the grace of to God as well.

Randy Harris (right) and some members of Tau Chi Alpha.

God, but it is not without a response of Like the Israelites waiting for intentional work, “training in righteousness,” toward goodness Moses to come down from Mount Sinai or the disciples waiting and love and learning the Word of God. for Jesus in prayer on the mountain, we expect that someone who So the group commits to living out the Sermon on the has spent time with God, paying full attention, will come back Mount together. They sign a covenant to live basic principles of with words of wisdom that will blow us away. the teachings of Christ, like loving neighbors, practicing deep Randy doesn’t claim God gave him any special revelation, integrity, and sexual purity. but he did receive something profound during his 40 days in “One of the things that surprised me – I should have the wilderness. Randy found that God wanted to teach him the known – is how powerful signing on to a covenant is,” Randy gospel all over again. This time he would learn it more with his said. They do not claim to live their vows perfectly, but they do heart than with his head. take them seriously.

Those 40 days also set Randy on a quest to learn to live The young men also covenant to hold each other graciously out the teachings and mission of Christ. accountable. They give others in the group permission to speak Over the next decade, Randy spent time with practitioners into each other’s life. If someone sees a member of the group of prayer and mission in Celtic and Ignatian retreat houses. on the soccer field not representing Jesus well, they’ve given He did a two-year program in the Shalem Institute, learning permission to be spoken to in that situation. They pray to do contemplative spiritual direction. He spent time at the specifically about sin in their lives and reach out to people Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C., where he saw a way who need hospitality or love. to bring together the contemplative and missional, a powerful About 20 freshmen come in each year, so the group stays way of following Jesus and touching the world. at about 60-80 ongoing. The group also has some rituals that “I had done a lot of mentoring of students, but it always identify them, including chanting prayers, and they all memorize seemed to be from the neck up. It wasn’t bad, and it impacted the Sermon on the Mount. a lot of people, but I wanted to know if there was another level “The old guys had it right that when we memorize of engagement,” said Randy.

Scripture, it gets into you in ways it doesn’t when you just read “As a college professor, I’m very interested in spiritual it,” Randy said. While people might balk at memorization, Randy formation, but college students are notoriously difficult to points out that we all have a storehouse of songs in our heads form," Randy said in his recent book, Living Jesus. “It’s a great that we’ve memorized. Scripture can access that same part formative age, but many students have also checked out of of the brain, particularly when chanted or sung or prayed. church. So I began to wonder, Is there a way to form students It doesn’t take as long as most people think it does to memorize, that will take permanently? They are probably never going to be but it does take work. able to replicate their four-year college experience, so what are The group also does exercises and challenges together. the ways to form them so deeply that will impact them for the One of the exercises at meals is that members cannot serve rest of their lives?" themselves or ask to be served. “We watch and see if others That question and his journey led Randy toward an experiment he’s doing now with students at Abilene Christian.

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ACU TODAY

Philanthropy

HAS NO AGE

D

r. Leroy Garrett (’42) and Joey Hopkins (’10) may span four generations of Abilene Christian University benefactors, but they are partners in our Heritage Society.

Leroy, a church history scholar and author, has been a donor for some 50 years, most recently through Charitable Gift Annuities designed to benefit him in retirement and accrue as endowment funds to help advance ACU’s mission.

Joey’s philanthropy began as a 20-year-old when he became the youngest member of the President’s Circle in 2007. Now an independent petroleum landman, he recently established the Dell Hopkins Memorial Endowed Scholarship in

memory of his father, who died when Joey was a child. Joey remembers his parents’ and grandparents’ involvement with ACU, and wants to help others who have the same opportunities he enjoyed.

At ages 94 and 26, respectively, Leroy and Joey understand the benefits of investing in ACU and its students. Please join them in our Partnering in the Journey Campaign to increase scholarships, and know that every gift is significant in the partnership of Christian higher education.

Contact The ACU Foundation today for assistance with your interests and plans for meeting personal, family and charitable goals.

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Abilene Christian University ACU Box 29132 Abilene, Texas 79699-9132 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

C O M I N G U P June Passport .............................................................................. June 23-25 August Passport ...................................................................... August 18-20 Welcome Week ....................................................................... August 20-24 107th Annual Summit ........................................................ September 15-18 Wildcat Preview Days ......... September 30, October 14, November 2 and 11 National SAT Test Dates ...................... October 5, November 2, December 7 Homecoming ......................................................................... October 17-20 facebook.com/abilenechristian facebook.com/ACUsports

National ACT Test Dates ....................................... October 26, December 14 Mingle and Jingle ...................................................................... December 4 December Commencement ..................................................... December 13 2014 National SAT Test Dates .............. January 25, March 8, May 3, June 7 2014 National ACT Test Dates ......................... February 8, April 12, June 14 2014 Premier Weekends ................................ February 15-16, March 22-23 2014 ACU Bound Weekend ...................................................... March 22-25

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gplus.to/abilenechristian SCOTT SUCHMAN

Back to college Cmdr. David Bynum (’84), a Navy chaplain and ACU’s 2013 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year, rides a Metrorail train each day to the National War College near Washington, D.C., preparing for an upcoming assignment in the Pentagon. One of his textbooks is On War, a treatise on military strategy written in the early 1800s by a Prussian general and still studied today. See story on pages 22-25.