Steve and Gari (Brooke) Lugar Endowment for the School of Nursing • Dukes Endowment for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy • Byron Nelson Endowed Golf Excellence Fund (CFT) • Judge Ted Poe Endowed Chair for Political Science • Richard and Dema Lunsford Quiet Places Endowment • Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action Endowment • Hubert and Deborah Pickett Endowment • Don Hood Track and Field Endowment • Pretiger Endowment for Teaching and Learning • Randy Nicholson Endowment for Golf Priorites • Don and Carla Garrett Track and Field Endowment • Teacher Education Endowment Christopher and Mary Lou Hutson Africana Studies Collection Endowment • Warder and Lottie Novak Special Collections Endowment • Joe Bullock Base ball Coaching Endowment • Cartwright Family Internship Endowment • Wilma and Joe Marshall Children’s Literature Endowment • Casey Duncum Wildcat Ventures Endowment • Center for the Study of Ancient Religious Texts Endowment • MaRK Endowment for Research, Brecheen-Faulkner Endowment for Mar riage and Family Studies • Dowdy Family Physics Endowment • Cynthia Coates Endowed Chair of Political Science and Criminal Justice • Mitchell Endowed Professorship • Dr. Jon Ashby Operations Endowment in Communication Sciences and Disorders • Dr. Phil Christopher Center for Baptist Studies Endowment Paul and Gladys Faulkner Center Endowment • His Little Ones Missions Endowment • Jeffrey L. Wendling Endowment for Track Operations • Perkins Fam Endowment for the Siburt Institute • Dr. Bill and Donna Petty Academic Research Endowment • Jerry D. Riggs CPA Endowment for Accounting Excellence Rowsey Gilbreath Conner Endowment for Athletics • Claudette and John Wilson Restoration Studies Endowment • Steve and Gari Lugar Endowment for Nursing Simulation Equipment • 1973 National Championship Team Wally Bullington Endowment • Massey STEM for Girls Endowment • Chase the Fairway Golf Endowment On the Road Again Music Endowment • Law School Admissions Endowment • J.D. Holland Endowment for Art and Design • J.D. Holland Endowment for Missions and Global Service • Dr. Delbert and Helen Towell NEXT Lab Endowment • NEXT Lab Founders Endowment • David Leeson Endowment for Excellence in Journalism G. Harvey Endowment for Art - A Time for Faith and Family • Dr. Jeanene Reese Endowment for the Center for Women in Christian Ministry • Gary and Lacey Wells Endowed Scholarship • Willis / Cha Endowed Scholarship for Bible • Missions and Ministry Majors • Dutton Family Endowed Scholarship • Weldon G. Cannon and Patricia K. Benoit Endowed Scholarship • Ephesians 3:20 Endowed Scholarship • Charlie and Mollie Middlebrook Endowed Scholarship • Henley Family Oppor tunity Scholarship • Steve and Becky Smith Scholarship • Campbell Family Endowment • Todd D. Batt Endowed Scholarship • Woolfolk Endowed Scholarship Jackie Jones Thomas Endowment • M. Sheppard Strong Accounting Scholarship • Grateful Heart Endowed Scholarship • Jack Maxwell Endowed Scholarship for the Visual Arts • Ed Allred Gamma Sigma Phi / Kinsmen Endowed Scholarship • Guerra Family Opportunity Scholarship • Onstead Opportunity Scholarship • Jack and Ruth Allen Griggs Endowed Scholarship • Henley Family Scholarship for Education Majors • Delia G. Gomez Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Onstead Oppor tunity Scholarship • David Glenn Rickard Memorial Scholarship • Tommy and Martha Morris Endowed Scholarship • Steve and Gari Lugar Endowed Scholarship for Nursing • Peggy Shanks Hendrix Endowed Scholarship for Education • Swedlund Family Endowed Scholarship for Accounting • Jean and Glenn Nichols Schol arship Endowment • Shelly Roggendorff Memorial Scholarship for Nursing • Jim and Cynthia Cooke Endowed Scholarship • Kenneth Wayne and Jean Stanley Rich Endowed Scholarship • Charles E. Michaels and Cynthia Shaff-Hadel Endowed Scholarship • Richard H. Hadel Endowed Scholarship • Lindsay DeHoff Brewer En dowed Scholarship • Don and LaVerne Jackson Endowed Scholarship • Lance Bleakney Memorial Endowed Scholarship • William B. and Mary Jo Decker Endowed Scholarship • Brent and Starlyn Barrow Endowed Scholarship • A.R. Holton and Charles H. Roberson Endowed Scholarship • L.E. and Ruth Gray Endowed Schol arship for Engineering • TurnAgain Church of Christ Legacy Endowed Scholarship • Art Franklin Pendergrass Endowed Scholarship • Julie Pruett Endowed Vocal Scholarship • College of Business Administration Endowed Scholarship • Endowed Scholarship for Education • College of Biblical Studies Endowed Scholarship Frank and Daisy Bass Bible Scholarship • Paul Piersall Endowed Scholarship for Music • Amarillo Area Endowed Scholarship • Charlotte and Michael Galyean Endowed Scholarship • Mark Skelton Endowed Scholarship • Richard and Catherine LeBlanc Endowed Scholarship • Lea Watkins Lynay Endowed Scholarship Janine and Ron Morgan Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship • Harvey Drive Church of Christ Endowed Scholarship • William “Bill” E. Clovis II and Evie Mae Clovis Endowed Scholarship • James and Faye Vandiver Endowed Scholarship • Dan and Donna Garrett Endowed Scholarship • Greyson McGlothlin Endowed Scholar ship for Physics and Engineering Majors • Eichelberger Woolfolk Music Endowed Scholarship • Nathalie Akin Bartle Endowed Scholarship • Dr. Mark and Debbie Riggs Endowed Scholarship for Actuarial Science • Hole-In-One Scholarship • Curtain Call Endowed Scholarship, Young Endowed Scholarship • Larry Bonner and Billy Curl Endowed Scholarship • William “Bill” Gilbreth Endowed Scholarship for Baseball • David and Jennifer (Prill) Meredith Endowed Scholarship • Dr. Mark Riggs Endowed Scholarship for Violists • Dr. Brad Cheves Endowed Scholarship for Character and Leadership • Kyle and Gayle Mansker Endowed Scholarship Andrei and Apurva Duta Endowed Scholarship • Henry and Bea Speck Scholarship Endowment • Adam and Donna Hester Endowed Theatre Scholarship • Kelly and Tami Parker Endowed Scholarship • Clayton-Haught Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship • Buddy and Elizabeth Dulin Scholarship for Math and Science • Joe and Marilyn (Colby) Willems Endowed Scholarship • University Council Endowed Scholarship • Duta Holdings Endowed Scholarship • Raymond E. Smith Endowed Scholarship for Engineering Students • Charlotte Doss Bingham Endowed Scholarship of Education • Cynthia Coates Endowed Flute Scholarship • Pat Dowdy for the Love of Teaching Math and Science Endowed Physics Scholarship • Patsy Dowdy for the Love of Teaching Endowed Physics Scholarship • Dr. Delbert and Helen Towell Endowed Scholarship for NEXT Lab, Physics and Engineering • Mayme Churchill Endowed Scholarship for Nursing • Kelly and Ellie Hamby Endowed Scholarship • Hejl Family Endowed Scholarship for Advertising and Public Relations • Eris A. Ritchie Jr. and Annita Hartsell Ritchie Endowed Scholarship • Joe Cope Endowed Scholarship for Professional Studies • Paul and Reatha Guyer Endowed Scholarship • Janice Blackwood Bedford Endowed Choir Scholarship Margie Ann (Young) Cannon Endowed Nursing Scholarship • Estelle Clark Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Willard Tate Endowed Scholarship • DIG Endowed Scholarship • Greenhouse Endowed Scholarship • Stripling Family Endowment • Paul Joseph Wilson Endowed Scholarship Fund • J.D. Holland Endowed Scholar ship for Biblical Studies • Dr. Tony and Candyce Roach Endowed Scholarship • Guy Converse Kellam Endowed Scholarship • Carol Kerr Poe Elementary Education Endowed Scholarship • Scott Kinzie Memorial Endowment • Ross and June Walker Endowed Scholarship • Dr. Vera Campbell-Jones Endowed Scholarship • Jo Ann Gauntt Endowed Scholarship • Albert O. and Mary B. (Hemphill) Starr Endowed Scholarship for Education • Della Fiske Turner Endowed scholarship • Kenneth Murphy Endowed scholarship • Lt. Col. Michael “Taz” Michaelis Endowed Scholarship for Baseball • Martha Morris and Marie Nakamura Endowed Scholarship
Thank You!
Higher Ground campaign raises $301 million to benefit academics and student experience
COMING SOON
HORIZONS
A Most Beloved Tradition
The women of Sigma Theta Chi, the men of Galaxy and the Freshman Purple acts won top prizes March 28-29, but with about 900 students participating and more than 6,200 in attendance, many more shared the honor of joyful music, creativity, exuberance and nostalgia at the 69th annual ACU Sing Song.
Jenna Stevens, senior nursing major from Abilene, directed Sigma Theta Chi’s “Under the Sea”; Austin Nelson, sophomore vocal performance major from Georgetown, Texas, led the Galaxy “Star Wars” show; and Anna Straughn, freshman musical theatre major from Abilene, directed Freshman Purple’s “Hansel and Gretel.” Hosts and hostesses were Ansley Brown, senior interior architecture and design major from Franklin, Tennessee; Mary Claire “MC” Gunn, senior kinesiology and pre-occupational therapy major from Waco, Texas; David Lasater, senior kinesiology and pre-occupational therapy major from Aledo, Texas; Megan Sloane, junior musical theatre major from Belton, Texas; and Will Vogelsang, senior finance major from McKinney, Texas.
In addition to 14 competitive group acts, students participated through a cappella small groups, a dance team, the ACU Jazz Band and as student directors or members of the leadership team.
Relive your own Sing Song memories at singsongarchives.com featuring audio, video and photography from past shows, as well as programs, news articles and an interactive timeline.
See more images from Sing Song 2025 in our bonus coverage by scanning the QR code or visiting acu.edu/acutoday
From the PRESIDENT
Just over three years ago, we set our sights on a never-before-attained $250 million fundraising campaign for Abilene Christian. Turns out, that lofty aim was no match for the generosity and passion of the ACU community.
In the spirit of the campaign’s name, Higher Ground, our alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students didn’t stop at our goal of $250 million. Instead, we kept climbing, and as of May 2025, gifts totaled $301 million – all earmarked to benefit academics and the student experience.
Three years later, our campus is transformed, student opportunities have expanded and ACU’s national influence continues to grow – fueled by the generosity of people who have experienced and been changed by this special place. Thank you for your dedication to sharing and enhancing ACU’s mission! You’ll want to check out Pages 14-21 for a visual celebration of the impact of this record-setting campaign.
That Wildcat spirit of community and connection is also exemplified in the many traditions and unique experiences beyond the classroom. One such beloved adventure is an annual ski trip to Red River, New Mexico. Faculty-led and cherished by students, alumni, friends and families, the 2025 ski trip marked a special milestone: its 50th anniversary. Get a peek into the snow, slopes and stories entailed on Pages 22-27.
Topping a banner year of accomplishments, this spring ACU earned the prestigious Research 2 designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (Pages 28-29), placing us among the top research universities in the nation. This recognition affirms strategic efforts to expand our research enterprise while staying true to our mission of preparing students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.
In May, we launched more than 800 new alumni to make a difference in their homes, workplaces, churches, communities and their many spheres of influence, a welcome reminder of why we do what we do. As we celebrate these milestones and look toward the future, I invite you to stay connected, inspired and invested in ACU’s mission. Let’s keep climbing toward higher ground!
ACU Today is published twice a year by the Division of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.
STAFF
Editor: Wendy (Waller ’01) Kilmer
Art Director: Todd Mullins
Editor Emeritus: Ron Hadfield (’79)
Assistant Editor: Jonathan Smith (’06)
Contributing Writers This Issue: Craig Fisher (’92), Lance Fleming (’92), Emily Guajardo (’18), Jamie (McDaniel ‘00) Thomas
Contributing Photographers This Issue: Aly Bayliss, Josh Beam, Skyler Blanton, Scott Delony (’06), Rolando Diaz (’79), Jeremy Enlow, John Giles (’07), Chai Green (’09 M.Div.), Susan Griggs, M.C. (Hayes ’91) Jennings, Stephen Jerkins, Kaylee Kahn (’24), Kamryn Kelley, Ella Kelso, Kim Leeson, Noah Maurer, Matt Maxwell (’07), Kathy (Williams ’79) Moore, Pepperdine University, Kay Robinson, Jamie Schwaberow, Meagan Sloane, Zach Snyder (’08), Jackson Talley, University of Alabama, Steven Wright
Contributing Graphic Designers/Illustrators This Issue: Holly Harrell
Editorial Assistants: Vicki (Warner ’83) Britten, Sharon (McDaniel ’79) Fox
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Administration: Will Beasley, J.D. (’11), Kevin Campbell (’00), Dr. Robert Rhodes, Anthony Williams
Advancement: Samantha (Bickett ’01) Adkins, Rendi (Young ’83) Hahn, Dan Macaluso, Jim Orr, J.D. (’86)
Alumni Relations: Craig Fisher (’92)
Marketing and Strategic Communications: Sharon Ayala, Blair Schroeder
Student Life: Dr. Tamara (Boyer ’03) Long
Ex-officio: Dr. Phil Schubert (’91)
CORRESPONDENCE
ACU Today: wendy.kilmer@acu.edu
ACU Alumni Office: alumni@acu.edu
Record Changes: ACU Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132, 325-674-2620
ON THE WEB
Abilene Christian University: acu.edu
Address Changes and EXperiences: acu.edu/alumni
ACU Advancement Office (Exceptional Scholarship Fund, Gift Records): acu.edu/give
ACU Alumni Website: acu.edu/alumni
Watch Us on YouTube: youtube.com/acu
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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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HilltopVIEW
BY WENDY KILMER
After 1,400 miles, GSP bikers are welcomed with cheers, In-N-Out and heartfelt gratitude from the Pepperdine student body.
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Outreach, an Abilene nonprofit supporting individuals with mobility injuries, and the Pepperdine Strong Fund, which offers financial relief to students, staff and faculty affected by the California wildfires. The team began training in December 2024, using indoor bikes at ACU’s recreation center and conducting test rides to prepare for the terrain.
Theatre Spring Showcase in New York City
Students experience outreach, community, learning through Spring Break trips
Spring Break is more than just time off from classes when students take advantage of opportunities for experiential learning, mission trips and unique service projects and philanthropy. From biking across four states to performing alongside a Broadway actor in New York City or assisting in an operating room in Guatemala, many Wildcats used their time off to serve, grow and connect with the world around them.
Gamma Sigma Phi cross country bike ride
Eleven members of the Gamma Sigma Phi fraternity continued a tradition of service and perseverance by cycling 1,400 miles – from ACU to Pepperdine University. Inspired by similar efforts started in the early 2000s, this year’s ride raised more than $30,000 in support of two impactful causes: Greater Than Three
Each year, ACU Theatre’s Spring Showcase offers seniors the opportunity to make an off-Broadway debut in front of industry agents, but during this Spring Break, students also performed on stage at the prestigious 54 Below venue alongside Ben Jeffrey (’06), whom audiences know as Pumbaa in Broadway’s The Lion King for the last 15 years. Following the event, seven of the 12 ACU Theatre students were invited to work with Broadway agents. See photos on Page 44.
Art and design trip to San Francisco
Mike Wiggins (’93), professor of art and design, and Nil Santana (’00 M.S.), associate professor of
Continued on Page 6
94
Percentage of December 2023 and May 2024 graduates who were employed or accepted into graduate school within six months of earning their degrees.
1,986
Record number of gifts from donors April 29-30 during ACU Gives, totalling $919,411 for a variety of programs and projects benefitting students.
Clevenger, Fortenberry and Hejl added to board
AACU added three new members to its Board of Trustees in January.
Don Clevenger (’92) of Sunnyvale, Texas, is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Oncor Electric Delivery. He’s also a trustee of Paul Quinn College, Home Point and Dallas Christian School. Clevenger and his wife, Jolie (Robbins ’94), are members of the President’s Venture Council, and they have three sons, who all attended ACU.
Sandra (Juarez ’00) Fortenberry, O.D., FAAO, of Helotes, Texas, is the first Hispanic woman in the nation to serve as dean of an optometry school and the first Hispanic female president of the Texas Optometric Association. After seven years as a practicing optometrist, she became a faculty member at University of the
Incarnate Word’s Rosenberg School of Optometry in 2010 and later served as dean. Fortenberry also is president of ACU’s Alumni Advisory Board. She is married to Jake Fortenberry (’00), and they have two daughters.
Luke Hejl (’01) of Fort Worth, Texas, is CEO, chair and co-founder of TimelyCare, a leading higher education virtual health and well-being solution. Since co-founding TimelyCare (formerly TimelyMD) in 2017 with two fellow ACU graduates, he led the company to deliver complete clinical care to more than 2.5 million students at more than 400 campuses nationwide. Hejl has served as a member of the President’s Venture Council, the advisory board for ACU’s Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, the advisory board for the Morris+Mitchell student-run agency in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Strategy Development Team in the College of Business Administration. He is married to Sara (Martin ’01), and they have three children.
University Credit Union and ACU Credit Union join forces
The ACU Credit Union officially merged this spring with University Credit Union, introducing new opportunities and enhanced benefits for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
University Credit Union has been serving the higher education community nationwide for more than 70 years and is a member-focused organization with a strong track record of innovation and success.
The on-campus credit union location in Abilene remains open, with ATM enhancements and on-site financial coaching. Banking services are available to all ACU faculty, staff, students and alumni, regardless of location, with digital banking options available and more than 5,600 shared branch locations in all 50 states.
Learn more at bit.ly/4kfd28P.
$2.1 million
Amount ACU’s Siburt Institute for Church Ministry will receive as part of a collaboration with Pepperdine University’s Empower and Equip program, designed to strengthen the ministries and leadership of Churches of Christ in rural areas and small towns. Lilly Endowment Inc. granted Pepperdine $7.5 million for the initiative.
The draft pick with which the Chicago Cubs selected Wildcat pitcher Dominick Reid in the third round of the MLB Draft, the second highest an ACU baseball player has been drafted. Bill Gilbreth (’69) was the 67th pick in 1969. See more about ACU baseball on Page 11.
art and design, took 14 students to San Francisco during Spring Break. The group visited five design firms – Manual, Hybrid Design, The New Company, Moniker and 8VC – and the Letterform Archive, a typography museum. The experience was enriched by coordination with Brent Couchman (’05), founder of Moniker design studio, who hosted the group for dinner at his home.
Halbert Center mission trips
Three Spring Break mission trips were organized through the Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service, providing opportunities to serve within Texas and around the world.
The student-led Missions Students Association traveled to Impact Houston Church of Christ to support middle and high school programs for city teens. The seven ACU students built relationships with Impact teens and ministry staff, led a Bible study for adults with disabilities, and spent time bonding on the road trip.
Students involved with the Center for Pre-Health Professions visited Health Talents International’s Clínica Ezell in Monte Llano, Guatemala, and spent the week getting hands-on experience in the operating room. The 18 ACU students assisted
doctors and nurses in ophthalmology and orthopedic surgeries, and some enjoyed additional opportunities to use their Spanish, play with the children of those in surgery and join Guatemalan Christians in worship. The trip was led by ACU alumni Phillip Hendley, M.D. (’10), and his wife, Amanda (Dovers ’12).
“This was an opportunity for our students to learn from practicing healthcare professionals about serving others using the gifts God has given them, and we are thankful to Health Talents for allowing our students to participate in the mission to spread the good news and provide medical care to those who would otherwise not have access to care,” said Dr. Cynthia (Barton ’81) Powell, professor of chemistry and director of the Center for Pre-Health Professions.
The ACU soccer team, joined by a few family and friends, participated in a unique experience exploring soccer sites in Europe while also providing clinics for local youth. Led by
COMING SOON
coach Stephen Salas, the student-athletes visited northern Italy and southern France, attending a Champions League match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord, a training session led by former professional player and coach Silvia Pisano, tours of famous soccer stadiums and museums, and visits to iconic landmarks. In Turin, the group hosted soccer events with underprivileged local girls ages 10-15 and spent time praying – translated into Spanish and Italian – with the girls. They also conducted a training session with a boys academy in France.
See more images from Spring Break trips in our bonus coverage by scanning the QR Code or visiting acu.edu/acutoday.
ACU baseball’s First Pitch Dinner Feb. 1 featured Chris Young, executive vice president and general manager of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and the architect of the 2023 MLB World Series champions. Young participated in a question-and-answer session focusing on weaving faith into baseball, creating a championship culture, and the impact of the academic partnership between ACU and the Rangers.
As part of Black History Month, Dr. Vernon Shazier, former chaplain for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and now a pastor and motivational speaker, addressed students and the campus community Feb. 17, speaking about adversity and faith.
The Pruitt Speaker Series welcomed Dr. Kenneth Sytsma Feb. 24 to discuss “Future Species and Habitats – Should Faith Play a Role?” Sytsma is a professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Author Daniel Nayeri spoke Feb. 24 at the Friends of ACU Library’s spring dinner on the theme “Stories That Carry Us Home”. Nayeri talked about his remarkable journey from Iranian refugee to celebrated publisher and writer.
Staff, faculty and students had the opportunity to attend a film screening in Boone Family Theatre of the Twisters movie Feb. 25, followed by a question-and-answer session with executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg
Leon McNeil (’92), the 2023 Outdoorsman of the Year for the Texas Wildlife Association and the founder of City Kids Adventures, a nonprofit organization in San Antonio committed to enriching the lives of underserved youth, spoke March 3 in Chapel about the experiences that changed his life – his attendance at ACU among them.
ACU trustee Leslie Pickett Hutchins, M.D., (’04), headlined the Dr. Patricia Hernandez and Brenda Van Dunk Leadership Award Luncheon March 20 celebrating the exceptional leadership of distinguished women at ACU. See Page 40.
Attendees of the annual President’s Circle Dinner heard a powerful message March 29 of grace and transformation from minister and best-selling author Max Lucado (’77), who described how his life was changed as a student at ACU thanks to faithful friends, godly mentors and the unfailing love of Christ. See Page 34.
Broadway actress Lara Seibert Young (’06) performed April 5 alongside students at ACU Theatre’s Lights Up fundraiser performance of Broadway and Blue Jeans at Seven and One Books in downtown Abilene.
CAMPUS VOICES
Food Network celebrity chef Jet Tila demonstrated cooking techniques and signed copies of his book at a Chartwells lunch event for the campus community April 11.
Stark, (center) a participant on the 12th season of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship, and her mom, Christi (Hilligoss ’03) Stark,
spoke April 12 at Women for ACU’s 55th Anniversary Luncheon.
At Commencement, Dr. Stephen Johnson (’90), chief executive officer of ACU Dallas, addressed the graduate class during a ceremony May 9, and Shannon (McKnight ’92) Wilburn, co-founder and brand ambassador of Just Between Friends consignment franchise, gave the charge to the undergraduate class at two ceremonies May 10.
Academic NEWS
BY WENDY KILMER
Philanthropy
course
empowers students to grant funds to local nonprofits
Students in ACU’s Strategic Philanthropy course devoted the spring semester to learning about philanthropy, grant proposals and the grant-making process and, thanks to generous donors, were able
ACU Dallas partnerships bring faith-focused higher ed opportunities to organizations
Making connections built on Christ-centered purpose is a hallmark of ACU Dallas, the branch campus hosting ACU’s online programs, and over the past year, dozens of K-12, community college, military, healthcare, information technology, wellness, nonprofit and theological institutions have chosen to partner with the university.
These collaborations include regional businesses and top-tier national corporations and offer employees the chance to gain needed skills, while businesses can merge their preexisting employee benefits with the industryspecific credentials available through ACU Online. Key partners include Dallas College, the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, Region 4 Education Service Center, Caris Life Sciences, the City of Houston Health Department, Baylor Scott & White Health, the Salvation Army, U.S.
to disperse $80,000 among eight Abilene-area nonprofit organizations.
The funding and course experience is made possible by a partnership between donors, The
Department of Veterans Affairs, and RightNow Media.
ACU Dallas’ Corporate and Community Partnerships team identifies companies with a deep interest in their workers’ continued education. Under the leadership of Dr. Matt Daniel (’22), associate vice president for partnership development, the team promotes ACU’s workforce-aligned degrees, certificates and professional development programs that might be a good fit in specific industries.
“As an alumnus, I’ve experienced firsthand the transformational education
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Philanthropy Lab, the Community Foundation of Abilene, and the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy in ACU’s College of Business Administration. This is the seventh year of the class, with a new $30,000 donation making possible a higher-than-ever grant total.
“I had never heard of some of the nonprofits that submitted applications, but getting to learn about them and visit them in person was very influential,” said Caleb Bichard (’25). “It’s inspiring to see other people passionate about giving their time and resources to the community. Then, to be able to award them money to help continue their vision was an added bonus.”
ACU is known for,” Daniel said. “By forging strategic partnerships with organizations, we’re extending ACU’s mission and increasing awareness in ways that aid both employers and their teams.”
Now entering the second phase of a three-year initiative, the partnerships team is focusing on launching new business opportunities and working closely with other internal teams, like the Executive Education and Professional Advancement and the Learning Design and Operations groups. ACU Dallas is creating tailored certifications, customizable boot camps and talent acquisition pipelines.
“These partnerships fuel transformational experiences and reinforce our calling to serve as Christ-centered leaders in workforce education.”
– Jessica Manning
Jessica Manning, chief enrollment officer at ACU Dallas, said these efforts go beyond simple partnership agreements; they are a way of fulfilling out ACU’s mission in new contexts.
“The momentum we’re seeing is the result of intentional collaboration with mission-aligned organizations that share our vision of equipping professionals to lead with integrity, faith and excellence,” she said. “These partnerships fuel transformational experiences and reinforce our calling to serve as Christcentered leaders in workforce education.”
ACU Dallas seeks to connect with purpose-driven institutions and companies of all sizes. To learn more, visit acu.edu/partners
Business, psychology online programs earn national honors
In addition to Abilene Christian’s accolades in September focused on residential higher education, U.S. News & World Report honored two of ACU’s online programs in its annual Best Online Bachelor’s Programs list for 2025, announced in January.
The online Bachelor of Science in business management program ranked No. 79 nationally, and the online Bachelor of Science in psychology ranked No. 18 in the country and is the only nationally recognized program in Texas.
The ranking highlights the top universities providing online bachelor’s degrees in various disciplines. U.S. News evaluated each university on four components: engagement, services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and peer assessment.
“This is a significant milestone for ACU Online, as we are once again acknowledged for consistently elevating standards statewide and nationally,” said Dr. Stephen Johnson (’90), chief executive officer of ACU Dallas. “With one of the top business programs and the only nationally ranked psychology program in the state, we are eager to see how our university will continue to evolve and positively influence our students as they pursue their academic and professional aspirations at ACU.”
ACU’s online programs include 14 bachelor’s degrees, 16 master’s degrees, four doctoral degrees, five undergraduate certificate programs and 11 graduate certificate programs.
FROM LEFT: Craig Fisher (’92), Dr. Brown Bannister and Dr.
ACADEMIC DIGEST
At a Nashville event Feb. 27, ACU presented song writer and producer Brown Bannister (’75) with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree for his extraordinary contributions to contemporary Christian music. Bannister, assistant professor of music and director emeritus of the School of Music at Lipscomb University, has won 14 Grammys and 25 Dove awards and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
ACU sophomores Eric Vergane and Haylee Newman have each been awarded $40,000 scholarships by the Sumners Foundation. They are among 36 undergraduate students nationally to receive a Sumners scholarship in 2025. Vergane is a government major with minors in legal studies and public service from Miami, Oklahoma. Newman is from Jacksonville, Arkansas, and is majoring in criminal justice and psychology. Vergane and Newman are ACU’s eighth and ninth students to earn this designation from the Sumners Foundation.
Two programs have recently received renewed accreditation. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry received another five years of approval from the American
Alumni, parents and prospective students and their families gathered at Vū Nashville for the event.
Chemical Society, and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education granted 10 years of continuing accreditation to the Master of Athletic Training program in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition.
A new online master’s degree launches in Fall 2025. The Master of Science in Social Work offered through ACU Online incorporates spirituality and faith, evidence-based interventions, advanced therapeutic strategies and advocacy.
Dr. Cynthia (Barton ’81) Powell, professor of chemistry, is ACU’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Powell was honored at undergraduate Commencement in May and will be the featured speaker at Commencement in December. She has dedicated decades to guiding pre-med and other pre-health students, blending academic excellence with deep spiritual mentorship.
Wildcat SPORTS
BY LANCE FLEMING
Lassiter reflects on men’s March Madness committee role
Wildcat basketball teams have made three appearances in national March Madness postseason tournaments since ACU moved to NCAA Division I in 2013, and now, an ACU administrator has an inside look at the selection and seeding process behind the biggest stage in collegiate sports.
Zack Lassiter, vice president for athletics, experienced what he called “the professional opportunity of a lifetime” when he began serving during the 2024-25 season on the 12-person NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. He was chosen to replace former Western Athletic Conference commissioner Brian Thornton, starting a term that expires in August 2029.
Lassiter met with committee members, including commissioners from the Sun Belt, West Coast and Big Sky conferences, and athletic directors from North Carolina, Minnesota, Alabama, Georgetown, Samford, Temple, Manhattan and Oklahoma State. To debate and decide on the 68-team bracket for
the 2025 tournament, they convened in mid-March for several days in the ballroom of the Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, Indiana, just north of NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis.
“Being part of that group is quite humbling. I also wanted to make sure I did a good job,” Lassiter said. “I was not only carrying my reputation but also the university’s. It was an excellent opportunity to tell ACU’s story.”
Research for each member began far before the actual meetings, which, despite the large amount of data shared, still required hours of discussion, video review and complicated decision making.
Afterward, Lassiter said, “Everyone asks if we root for the favorites because it validates our selections, but truthfully, we don’t. The Final Four showcased highlevel basketball, concluding with a great national championship game between Florida and Houston. No one was talking about off-the-court issues; we were all talking about what happened on the court.”
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Wildcat football team reloads for conference title defense
The Wildcats have a conference title to defend in 2025, and they’ll do so with a new associate head coach, a new starting quarterback and fresh faces at key positions. However, fourth-year head coach Keith Patterson’s team appears positioned to compete for another United Athletic Conference title and qualify for the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Despite key losses to the transfer portal and graduation, Patterson and his staff – which includes Texas high school and Texas Tech quarterback legend Graham Harrell as the associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator – added more than 30 transfers through the portal, including quarterback Stone Earle, who started for the Wildcats in 2021 before transferring to North Texas.
ACU retained several key players, including defensive linemen Kaghen Roach and Chris Wright; tight ends Jed Castles and Itty Henry; linebacker Will Shaffer; defensive backs Jordan Mukes and Tyson Williams; quarterback Carson Haggard; running back Rovaughn Banks; and receivers
J.J. Henry and Javon Gipson
The 2025 season begins Aug. 30 with a road game against Tulsa. ACU’s first home game will be Sept. 6 against Stephen F. Austin, followed by a marquee matchup at TCU on Sept. 13.
Beginning next summer, the Western Athletic Conference will rebrand itself as the United Athletic Conference, bringing five current Atlantic Sun Conference members to join the three Texas institutions currently in the WAC. Read more at acusports.com and in the next issue of ACU Today.
Women’s basketball team overcomes odds for deepest Division I postseason run
ACU women’s basketball head coach Julie Goodenough called the 2024-25 season one of her favorites that didn’t end in a championship – mainly because of the obstacles the Wildcats overcame.
In the third game of Western Athletic Conference play, the Wildcats lost leading scorer Payton Hull and point guard Mia Rivers to injuries. A transfer from Texas A&M-Kingsville, Rivers was off to a good start before a season-ending injury. Hull, last year’s WAC Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-WAC pick, missed 13 games in the thick of the conference race. But senior Bella Earle had her finest season, and Meredith Mayes, Emma Troxell, Erin Woodson and Breanna Davis picked up the slack before Hull returned for the postseason.
ACU finished fourth in the conference and lost to Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament. But the Wildcats’ 20-12 record was good enough to earn a spot in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament for the third time in program history. ACU beat Northwestern State (Louisiana) and Central Arkansas in the first two rounds before falling to Illinois State in the Super 16, the deepest ACU has ever advanced in a national Division I postseason tournament.
“Our staff and players were so grateful for the WNIT invitation and the new lifeline to continue playing in the postseason,” said Goodenough, who earned an extended contract through 2029. “The season ended in a hard-fought battle in Illinois, but the tears in the locker room after the game were not about falling short on the scoreboard, but that this team had just played its last game together.”
Baseball team shares regular-season crown, falls in WAC title game
ACU baseball’s season ended in the WAC Tournament championship round for the second time in the past four seasons. The Wildcats rallied from an opening-day loss to eventual champion Utah Valley and won three straight games to make it back to the championship.
A 7-0 win over top-seeded Sacramento State sent the Wildcats to the championship round, but the Wildcats could not overcome Utah Valley in a rematch to advance to an NCAA Division I regional tournament for the first time in program history.
The Wildcats shared the regular-season championship with Sacramento State, marking the program’s first conference title in the WAC and second Division I regular-season title. ACU finished the season 34-23, joining Texas, TCU and Dallas Baptist as the only four of the state’s 22 Division I programs to win at least 30 games in each of the last five seasons.
ACU had two All-WAC first team selections: right-handed pitcher Dominick Reid and designated hitter Diego Cardenas. Freshman center fielder Braden Regala was selected to the All-WAC defensive team. Reid set a Division I-era school record for strikeouts in a season with a league-best 112, while Cardenas led the WAC with 67 RBIs. Regala had a terrific first year, starting 54 games, hitting .295, leading the league with 29 stolen bases and committing no errors.
Reid, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round with the 90th overall pick of the MLB Draft – the second highest an ACU baseball player has ever been drafted.
Taylor signs with NFL’s Colts
In April, former wide receiver Blayne Taylor (’24) the Wildcats to the UAC championship last fall – signed a free agent contract with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and went through the team’s rookie mini-camp in early May in Indianapolis in preparation for training camp in August. See Page 41 for more about other alumni active in professional sports.
Scoreboards added to Eager Tennis Center
Generous donors have made possible a new digital scoreboard for each of the six competition courts at Eager Tennis Center. Each scoreboard recognizes a former ACU tennis coach: the late Dr. Dwain Hart and Allen Tappe (’84), plus Dr. Cleddy Varner (’58), Ron Elston (’84), Hutton Jones (’81) and John Walker (’89). Families and friends of each were recognized March 22 at a dedication event prior to a men’s tennis match against Texas-Permian Basin.
SPORTS ROUNDUP
Men’s Basketball
• The Wildcats qualified for the WAC tournament as the No. 4 seed but saw their season end in a quarterfinal loss to Seattle. ACU finished 16-16 overall, and Dontrez Williams earned All-Freshman Team honors.
• ACU’s defense was again among the best in the nation as head coach Brette Tanner’s team led NCAA Division I in turnovers forced per game (17.09) and steals per game (10.3). ACU was second in the country in total turnovers forced (547) behind UC-San Diego (557). Texas-El Paso – led by former ACU head coach Joe Golding (’99) – was second in the nation in steals at 10.2 per game. ACU and UTEP were the only two teams in the country to average double figures in steals per game.
Women’s Golf
• Junior standout Ryann Honea wrapped up her second straight appearance in the NCAA regional tournament in early May, finishing in a tie for 41st place with a 13-over 229, including 1-over 73 in the final round at The Rawls Course in Lubbock. Honea was named the All-WAC first team and conference Co-Golfer of the Year.
• The team finished second in the WAC Championship for the second straight season.
Men’s Golf
• The Wildcats closed the 2025 season by earning fifth at the WAC Championship Tournament in Payson, Arizona. The team finished eight strokes behind champion Seattle. Gregoire Hoyeau and Preston DeFriend each landed in the Top 10. Gregoire was also selected second team All-WAC.
Women’s Soccer
• ACU head coach Stephen Salas and his team posted a 6-1 record in the spring, including a 2-1 win at SMU, setting the Wildcats up for what could be their most successful season in the WAC. The Wildcats recorded five shutouts in 2024 behind the play of returning goalkeeper Lili Ross but have not reached the WAC Tournament in any of their four seasons in the league.
• Salas announced six new additions in the spring to bolster his team’s offensive output this fall.
Women’s Tennis
• ACU’s season ended in the WAC Tournament semifinals in April, falling to top seed Grand Canyon. The Wildcats have reached the semifinals five times in the seven seasons they’ve been eligible to play in a Division I conference tournament. Maria Cascos was selected first-team All-WAC for posting a combined record of 18-12 in singles and doubles in 2025.
Men’s Tennis
• The Wildcats won their second WAC team championship in four seasons in late April with 4-2 wins over No. 2 seed Texas-Arlington and top seed Grand Canyon. Five players landed on the all-tournament team, and the
Wildcats swept the league’s top awards. Juan Nunez (’09) was named WAC Coach of the Year, and senior Daniel Morozov was Player of the Year.
• ACU’s WAC title sent the Wildcats to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship, where they played the nation’s No. 2 seed, TCU, in the first round on May 3 in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs finished as national runner-up, losing in the championship finals to No. 1 Wake Forest.
Softball
• The Wildcats started the season 4-22 against one of the toughest schedules in the nation but finished 11-16 in their final 27 games in Jo Koons’ first season as head coach, including 11-13 in conference to tie for fourth place. Their season concluded May 7 with a loss to Utah Valley in the first round of the WAC tournament. Senior righthander Lina Russo was named second team All-WAC after leading the league in innings pitched and finishing third in strikeouts.
Track and Field
• The men’s and women’s 2025 seasons ended in early June with two women – Ja’Dasia Sims and Luize Velmere – competing at the NCAA West Region first round championship meet at Texas A&M. Earlier, Sims finished second in the WAC Outdoor Championship high jump, after winning the event at the WAC Indoor Championship in February, her first conference title. Velmere completed a strong senior season at the regional meet, finishing 41st with a jump of 40-8.25/12.40m. At the WAC Outdoor Championship, Velmere finished second in the triple jump, and she placed third at the WAC Indoor Championship.
• The ACU men earned fifth place in the WAC Outdoor Championship meet with 56 points and the ACU women were sixth with 59. Canaan Fairley won the decathlon to record the Wildcats’ only individual conference title.
• Both teams finished fifth in their respective team standings at the WAC Indoor Championship meet in early March. Sims was the only Wildcat athlete to claim an individual conference championship in that meet.
Volleyball
• The Wildcats return eight letterwinners from last year’s 10-18 squad, including WAC all-freshman team selection Avery Thaler at middle blocker. Thaler recorded 89 kills, a .202 hitting percentage and 40 blocks in her first year with the Wildcats.
• The team will welcome six newcomers: transfers Brennan Ramirez (redshirt freshman libero from Texas), Erika Gustafson (redshirt sophomore middle blocker from Montana State), Aubrey Beaver (junior outside hitter from Cal State-Fullerton) and Becca Siedenburg (senior setter from Gardner-Webb) as well as two freshman outside hitters –Hadlee Welch from Frenship (Lubbock, Texas) and Aliyah Jowers from Abilene Wylie.
• ACU opens the season Aug. 29 at home against Incarnate Word and begins WAC play Sept. 25 at Utah Valley.
Thursday OCT. 30
Gutenberg Celebration Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Musical: Shrek
Wildcat Soccer: ACU vs. Utah Valley
WILDCATS WILDCATS
OCT. 30 – NOV. 2
OCT. 30 – NOV. 2
Reunion class lunches are on Saturday in the Campus Mall and The Quad after Homecoming Chapel. If your preferred class year is 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 or 2020, or you’re a part of the Golden Anniversary Club (Class of 1975 and before), enjoy a barbecue lunch catered by The Shed Market and hang out with friends and classmates before heading over to tailgating and the football game at Wildcat Stadium. Learn more and register at acu.edu/homecoming. To see the full schedule of events, scan the QR code or visit acu.edu/homecoming. Friday OCT. 31 Saturday Nov. 1 Sunday Nov. 2
Chapel in Moody Morlan Medal Award Luncheon Department of Teacher Education Campus Roundup: Maker Lab Make and Take, Bullock Brothers Ballpark open house and more!
Carnival
ACU Sports Hall of Fame
Celebration
Musical: Shrek
Candlelight Devo
Midnight Worship
Parade Chapel in Moody Class Reunion Lunches Gameday Tailgating
Wildcat Football: ACU vs. Tarleton State Wildcat Volleyball: ACU vs. Texas-Arlington Out West Unplugged: Desserts and live music
Musical: Shrek
Wildcat Soccer: ACU vs. California Baptist
Musical: Shrek ACU Choirs concert
BY JONATHAN SMITH
Donors go above and beyond to wrap up transformational Higher Ground campaign
fter a long, arduous climb, the view from the top can make the entire journey worthwhile.
And so, after raising more than $300 million and completing the Higher Ground campaign in May, it’s hard for president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) not to pause, give thanks and appreciate the view of where ACU has been and where it is going.
“The Higher Ground campaign lifted us to new levels of excellence, growth and influence, and we have never been in a stronger position to lean into our unique calling as a national university with a Christ-centered mission,” he said.
“God has provided far beyond what we expected – and that provision came through the generosity of our ACU community.”
With a goal of raising $250 million by May 2025, work behind the
scenes began as early as 2018, and the campaign publicly launched in April 2022. Donors achieved that goal barely a year later and continued to build on the record-setting total.
From Moody Coliseum renovations and the new Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center to endowments that will fund programs and scholarships for years to come, each project fed into two main pillars of the campaign: elevating ACU’s academic profile and enhancing transformational experiences.
“We are blessed by a generous community willing to invest in helping us go through the doors God is opening for us to expand his Kingdom and to empower our students,” Schubert said.
Over the following pages, take a look at some of the ways donors have impacted campus and ACU students by supporting the Higher Ground campaign.
Enjoy the view.
Total dollars committed
$301,939,350
By benefitting a broad range of scholarships, projects and programs across campus, the Higher Ground campaign will continue to impact the experience of every student at the university for years to come.
25,791 donors contributed to the campaign
Gifts from wills or estates
Amount toward scholarships
Scholarships make an ACU education possible for more students each year, offering them meaningful experiences inside and outside the classroom.
endowed scholarships were created
Endowed scholarships do more than help today’s students. The invested funds provide recurring support to generations of future Wildcats in perpetuity and create a lasting legacy for donors.
245,789 square feet of new construction
236,519 square feet of renovation
A time of transformation
ACU’s last two major fundraising efforts have significantly reshaped the
campus. The purple portions of the
The 2022 construction of Peck Plaza, including a new GATA Fountain, provides an updated outdoor gathering spot in the campus mall area, just outside the renovated Moody Coliseum.
Percent of Higher Ground Alumni Donors by Class Year
Generous alumni donors accounted for 60.8% of the campaign total.
Ski class celebrates 50 years of snow, memories, friendships
BY JONATHAN SMITH
Families make up a large percentage of the group that travels to Red River, New Mexico, each January. Katie (Riggs ’04) Maxwell and children Henry and Riggs were among the 95 people who were part of the ACU group’s 50th anniversary ski trip this year.
espite what ACU’s campus nickname might suggest, the Hill is not an ideal place to snow ski.
With an elevation of 1,719 feet above sea level and an average annual snowfall of just a few inches, Abilene’s topography and climate would not seem to support longstanding ties to the popular winter sport.
And yet, since 1974, thousands of Abilene Christian students have signed up for the Beginning Snow Skiing and Boarding course each fall. Many more have joined them on the journey 500 miles northwest and 7,000 feet higher – to Red River, New Mexico – for an annual trip in January, which has become about much more than the 1 hour of academic credit students can earn.
At its core, the ACU ski trip is a family affair, though most participants are unrelated. The family has been forged through hours on the slopes, in the lodge, at devotionals and in communion with one another. After 50 years, this family tree has many branches, and the roots have grown deep.
‘Ski Abilene’
The genesis of the ski trip dates to the early 1970s, when a review of classes in the Department of Exercise Science and Health revealed a problem.
“We had some traditional exercise classes like swimming, jogging and tennis,” Dr. Curt Dickson (’66) said in a 2004 interview during the 30th anniversary of the ski class. “The exercise classes were static, and there wasn’t a lot of innovation.”
While completing his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, Dickson saw firsthand the potential of nontraditional course offerings like skiing, canoeing and backpacking. ACU’s exercise science department eventually added multiple adventure-style course options, but it chose snow skiing as the first.
At the time, the department had only one faculty member, Dr. Cleddy Varner (’58), who was a skiier, and he helped get the class and the trip off the ground. The department chose Red River, a smaller, family-owned ski area in northern New Mexico near Taos, and the group has returned nearly every January since 1975.
Guy Blasingame (’79) of Mesquite, Texas, was in one of the early ski classes. The irony of taking a snow skiing class in Abilene was not lost on him or his classmates.
“We joked about getting ‘Ski Abilene’ bumper stickers,” he said, while visiting with friends during the 50th anniversary trip.
The class meets several times during the fall semester and covers some academic elements of skiing, such as terminology and basics about gear. Varner and Dickson took turns teaching the class for the first two decades. Dickson’s son-in-law, Dr. Lynn Luttrell (’79), associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition, took the reins in 1996 and has been teaching it since then.
Hitting the slopes
Most of the learning takes place on the trip, when students ski for four days and take half-day lessons from professional instructors each day.
As ski trips go, ACU’s has always been a good deal. The large group and the trip’s timing – the week after New Year’s is often a slow time for ski resorts – allow rates to be much less than usual. For instance, five nights’ lodging, gear rentals, a four-day lift ticket and four half-day lessons on the slopes were less than $600 a person in 2025.
That’s partly why the trip developed a devoted following beyond students in the class. Each year, dozens of other individuals –including students not enrolled in the course, alumni, university faculty and staff, and families – join the trip. This January, 19 students were enrolled in the course through the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, but 95 people were part of the ACU group.
Many of the tag-alongs have been going for multiple years, and if you ask what keeps them coming back, a similar refrain emerges: the people.
“You could take your own ski trip to the Swiss Alps, but it still couldn’t top this because it wouldn’t be with this group,” said Laurel (Drain ’19) Herron of Midlothian, Texas.
Herron and her husband, Matt, couldn’t bring themselves to miss the 50th anniversary trip, even though she was several months pregnant and wouldn’t be skiing herself.
Some in the group may only see each other for one week every few years, but they pick up right where they left off. They have celebrated milestones together and comforted each other during hard times.
“The people here have seen me grow up,” said Sara Kate (Luttrell ’14) Jensen, the youngest daughter of Lynn and
This trip is a microcosm of what ACU does best – it’s all about the people and the relationships. When you have that feeling of people encouraging you and pushing you further, that’s what it’s all about. That’s when memories are made.
– REG COX
Although the exact number eludes him, Reg Cox (’84) of Littleton, Colorado, has been on more than 10 of the ACU ski trips since first attending as a student. A consummate storyteller, Cox often encourages others to share their adventures from the day when the group gathers each night.
Although the trip began as a way for ACU students to fulfill course requirements, over the years the annual trek to Red River became a melting pot of former, current and potential future Wildcats. Because ski instruction on the mountain was divided into groups based on experience level and not age, it’s not uncommon to see alumni, students and children enjoying time together in the chalet, on the ski lifts and around the slopes.
Sherri (Dickson ’79) Luttrell, and she wasn’t exaggerating. Born in September 1991, Jensen made her first trip to Red River four months later and has missed just five trips in 33 years.
“This trip brings together so many people that may never have found each other,” she said, recalling a time as a young child when an ACU football player served as her shield during a snowball fight.
This generational intermingling is part of what draws families like Val (’92) and Kendra (Wilson ’94) Durrington – both ski class alumni – back to the trip. The Durringtons brought their daughter and one of her friends to Red River in January 2025, and Kendra said it was particularly encouraging and comforting to watch them learn to ski surrounded by the ACU community.
“One of the great things about this trip is having children alongside the ACU students,” said Sherri Luttrell. “The students are in some of the same ski lessons as the kids. They will talk to them about their day and invite them over to sit with them during a devo. They’re a great example for the next generation.”
Making memories
After a long day of skiing, the group gathers each evening for a devotional – a time to sing, pray and commune together. For Lynn Luttrell, these have provided some of the most meaningful moments.
“The energy you feel from every generation worshipping together – children,
college students, friends and alumni – it’s quite powerful,” he said.
After each devotional, the group shares stories from the day, celebrating triumphs and finding humor in the less-than-successful moments. Reg Cox (’84), a minister from Littleton, Colorado, often serves as the unofficial story time master of ceremonies. He’s been on more than 10 of these trips since first going on the trip as a student in 1983. Cox relishes the opportunity to encourage the students to lean in and build memories that they’ll carry for a lifetime. “I can remember it like it was yesterday,” he said this January after a vivid retelling of a fall off a ski lift from his very first trip 42 years ago.
“This trip is a microcosm of what ACU does best – it’s all about the people and the relationships,” Cox said. “When you have that feeling of people encouraging you and pushing you further, that’s what it’s all about. That’s when memories are made.”
Uncertain future
in some courses, tough choices must be made.
Other than during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Fall 2025 marks the first time since 1974 that the skiing class is not on the schedule. And without a class to necessitate a trip to Red River, some regulars wonder what the future holds for their January tradition.
However, many seemed determined to make sure the trip lives on.
“I want to bring my kids here one day,” said Herron, whose son was born this May. “It’s the people who keep drawing us back. The people are why so many of us chose ACU in the first place.”
Changes to ACU’s core curriculum mean fewer students are taking P.E. activity courses. At one time, students were required to take as many as three to graduate. But as other courses have been added to the general education requirements, cuts had to be made elsewhere. Since 2023, most incoming students are no longer required to take any P.E. activity courses. And with fewer students
This found family seems determined to stick together. After 50 years, they’re bound together tighter than a pair of finely tuned ski boots and bindings.
Learn more and see additional images of the 50th anniversary and previous years, as well as a video produced by ACU’s AT&T Learning Studio in our bonus coverage by scanning the QR Code or visiting acu.edu/acutoday
COMING SOON
Students of all disciplines engage in important research alongside faculty mentors, presenting with them at national conferences or sharing as co-authors of published research, and their work often has immediate application to pressing questions of the day.
BY WENDY KILMER
ACU ACHIEVES ELITE ACADEMIC RECOGNITION THROUGH RESEARCH GROWTH
Groundbreaking research into nuclear energy is underway at ACU’s NEXT Lab through the design and construction of a molten salt reactor.
CU’s continued commitment to research growth and academic excellence reached a new milestone in Spring 2025 as the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education named the university to Research 2 – High Research Activity (R2) status in its latest update. The prestigious designation places Abilene Christian among top research universities in the nation.
“This recognition affirms our commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation, and empowering students and faculty to make a real-world impact,” said Dr. Phil Schubert (’91), ACU president.
Achieving this status is a key element of the university’s strategic plan and the result of a broad institutional focus. ACU was first included in the Doctoral Universities grouping as a Research 3 university in 2022 and immediately had its sights set on moving up to R2.
“We set an aggressive goal to become R2 because we believe our mission calls us to examine carefully the challenges society and the world face and to provide solutions and hope,” said Dr. Robert Rhodes, senior vice president for academic affairs. “We want our students to gain these same skills, and we want our current and future faculty to have a passion for our mission and this work.”
With only 139 universities nationwide classified as R2 this past year and just 40 private institutions among them, ACU’s achievement places it in elite company and promises to enhance the student experience and faculty development.
Q&A ABOUT R2 CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION WITH DR. ROBERT RHODES, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
What is the Carnegie Classification system and why does it matter to ACU?
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nationally recognized framework for designating a university’s national status and identifying comparable peer institutions. U.S. News & World Report and others use this system to categorize regional, national and research institutions. As a private university in a competitive market, we want the quality of our programs and the rich experiences of our students to be nationally recognized. During the past decade, ACU has transitioned from a regional university to a national research university.
In the higher education landscape, what does it mean to be considered a Research 2 university?
Among the more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, there are only 139 universities classified as Research 2 – High Research Activity. Only 40 of these are private. To be considered a Research 2 university the institution must produce more than 20 doctoral graduates in a research field each year and average more than $5 million in annual research expenses.
How do Carnegie Classifications impact a university’s reputation or funding opportunities?
The Carnegie Classification system serves as a recognized standard or established indicator of the breadth of graduate training and research activity at a university. The R2 classification places ACU on a list of highly visible research institutions. This national visibility increases our academic reputation and gives us privileged standing in federal funding applications.
How does being R2 affect faculty recruitment, research opportunities or student experiences?
Faculty seeking a faith-based environment with significant research opportunities know that ACU offers the best of both worlds. This is exceptionally rare and is a tremendous recruiting advantage for us. Among the more than 120 governing universities in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, only two are R2 or R1. This helps us attract excellent faculty who want to engage with students in the classroom and in the research lab.
What is the difference between R3 (our previous classification) and R2?
The primary difference is in research spending and activity. The R3 criteria is based on doctoral graduates in a research field. To achieve the R2 designation, a university must also average a high amount of research activity and investment each year.
Does ACU intend to move into the next category – R1 (Very High Spending and Doctorate Production)?
The R2 classification is a sweet spot for us. It allows us to maintain our long-standing focus on teaching while better supporting the world-class research that has also been a hallmark for many of our academic programs. I can imagine us operating successfully as an R2 university for many, many years.
How does this recognition contribute to our mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world?
ACU has the resources and talent to do two things better than any other university: prepare students to be excellent in their chosen field and prepare them to understand God’s plan for their life and his call for them to serve. There are a number of universities that do one or the other, but it is exceptionally rare for one to do both. We can and must be the type of university that prepares students holistically in order for them to truly be Christian servants and leaders.
FACTS AND FIGURES FOR ACU’S RAPIDLY EXPANDING RESEARCH EFFORTS
$8.18 MILLION in research spending for 2022-23.
68 average number of research doctorates awarded each year.
MORE THAN 800% increase in research and development expenditures from 2010-22, ranking ACU among the nation’s top 10 fastest-growing research programs, according to a report by the National Science Foundation.
TOP 50 NATIONALLY for Undergraduate Teaching and Undergraduate Research by U.S. News & World Report.
1 OF 2
institutions among the 120 governing members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities to have R2 or R1 research status.
<10% of the more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide are classified as R1 or R2 institutions – and only 94 of those are private universities.
1 OF 5
private undergraduate universities in Texas to be named R1 or R2 – alongside Rice, SMU, TCU and Baylor.
OTHER R2 PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS
include Villanova, Pepperdine, Marquette and Wake Forest universities.
BY RON HADFIELD
arl Young (’62) was once one of them, the young Wildcats who often set the sports world on its ear. A threat to all challengers, they set meet, American and world records in track and field, putting their college and its hometown on the map.
“Down at Abilene Christian,” wrote a well-known Texas sports journalist in the 1960s, “where there are so many track stars that Mercury would be listed as a reserve … Coach Oliver Jackson must have some good connections with the Greek gods.”
Young won an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960, as teammate Bobby Morrow (’58) had four years earlier, when the sprinter captured three in Melbourne. The two are the only Wildcats to appear on front covers of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award
ACU’s Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award takes its name from Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, the 2011 book by minister and best-selling Christian author Max Lucado (’77). The award is designed to recognize all types of servant leadership, including civic and community contributions, meeting spiritual or physical needs, producing changes with generational impact, helping redirect the course of people’s lives, and inspiring others to make an eternal difference. Recipients may be alumni or friends of the university.
A bout with food poisoning kept Young from winning a medal in his specialty, the 400-meter run. But he had four fans in Rome rooting for him in the 4x400 relay – his parents Verdelle and Fern Young, ACU stadium namesake Elmer Gray (’32) and Jackson (’42) – and he helped the U.S. team win in world record time.
A notoriously slow starter – according to his coach –Young heard Jackson’s shrill whistle above the crowd and remembered to speed up and save precious seconds in his leg of the relay race of his then-19-year-old life.
That was 65 years ago for ACU’s 2025 recipient of the Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life award. But a reminder of it is as near as his pocket.
Likely few Olympic medals have traversed the globe as much as Young’s, on personal and business trips as a business advisor and corporate officer.
His Facebook gallery features friends and acquaintances beaming while wearing the medal, and Earl is alongside each, happy to make another person’s day.
“It’s a beautiful medal,” said Young, who frequently wears it during speaking engagements. “Think about how
often a person gets to hold an Olympic medal. I enjoy them enjoying it.”
Some of them, as he knows all too well, have a different outlook from the hospital bed where they fight to overcome blood-borne cancer. They have his heart and full attention in the race of their lives.
Young was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2011 and lost 50 pounds from his tall, angular frame during the treatments, which included a stem cell transplant from Christine Waag, a woman from Germany. The two met a couple years later and have become close friends.
Inspired by Waag’s generosity and the lack of awareness that keeps patients from benefiting from another person’s healthy cells, he created Earl Young’s Team. In partnership with global nonprofit DKMS, he tirelessly organizes registration drives across the nation – chiefly at universities – where a quick swab test adds more selfless people to the registry of potential donors.
Thanks to Young’s efforts, more than 34,000 have done that, resulting in more than 150 donor-patient matches, including nearly 30 from ACU students, staff and faculty.
Now 84 years young, Earl is finishing strong. Aside from his family, two of the greatest blessings in his life were winning Olympic gold and being told he had AML.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but the latter was a blessing,” he said. “This has been a spiritual event for me and an honor to do this. I survived because of the simple generosity of one of 22 million people. Christine kept me alive. What she did is as real as life can get.”
He sees his calling as yet another race to discover each needy patient’s genetic twin, a person who can save their life.
“Thirty percent of donors come from a patient’s family, but 70% are strangers,” Young said. “This defines what we are supposed to do in life: take care of each other. This is not difficult. It will save lives. There is no downside. Share a few of the cells God gave you and make a difference.”
The BOOKCASE
The Church
A GUIDE TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD
By Dr. Brad East (’07)
ISBN 978-1683597681 • 200 pages
lexhampress.com
Selections of books published by Abilene Christian University or those written, edited, compiled or contributed by ACU alumni, faculty, staff and students.
Faithful Defiance
MARSHALL KEEBLE’S LIFE AND LEGACY
By Dr. Leonard Allen
978-1684262144 • 160 pages • acupressbooks.com
This book – part of the publisher’s eight-part Christian Essentials series – explores God’s story and his people, from Abraham to the coming of Christ. East is an ACU associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry.
The Killing Plains
By Sherry Rankin
ISBN 978-11662521157 • 368 pages amazon.com
Rankin’s fictional murder mystery is set in a town in West Texas where “everybody knows everybody. And everybody has a secret.”
A longtime professor of language and literature, Rankin’s award-winning book has been featured in Amazon’s First Reads.
Tame Your Thoughts
THREE TOOLS TO RENEW YOUR MIND AND TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE
By Max Lucado (’77)
ISBN 978-1400256235 • 240 pages thomasnelson.com
Lucado explores three key thought-management tools and then applies them to the most common thought problems – worry, guilt and anxiety – and other types of mental quicksand that threaten to trap us.
How to Get Along With Anyone
THE PLAYBOOK FOR PREDICTING AND PREVENTING CONFLICT AT WORK AND AT HOME
By John Eliot and Dr. Jim Guinn III (’11)
ISBN 978-1668033074 • 304 pages simonandschuster.com
Engaging examples and actionable techniques help you learn how to predict and prevent escalated conflict, arming you with practical tools for flipping the script on sticking points to nurture stronger and more meaningful relationships. Guinn is executive director of the Center for Sport Management Research and Education at Texas A&M University.
Contesting the Body of Christ
ECCLESIOLOGY’S REVOLUTIONARY CENTURY
By Dr. Myles Werntz
ISBN 978-1540960085 • 208 pages
bakerpublishinggroup.com
Guidance for the 21st-century church can be found in exploring the landscape of 20th-century ecclesiology, which was formed in a time of tranformative change. Werntz is ACU associate professor of theology and director of the Center for Baptist Studies.
Leonard, a former ACU theology professor, tells the life story of the legendary Black evangelist who planted more than 300 churches and was said to have baptized 40,000 people over his 55-year career.
The Power Paradox
WINNING THROUGH DOWNWARD MOBILITY
By Dr. Art McNeese (’73)
ISBN 978-8362039103 • 148 pages • amazon.com
McNeese explores biblical principles and contemporary examples of the transformative power of embracing weakness and humility, designed as a resource for individuals, small groups and Bible classes.
Redirect
A FREEDOM PLAN FROM PORNOGRAPHY’S CONTROL
By Dr. Doug R. Conder (’86) with Rees J. Conder
ISBN 978-8385028375 • 208 pages • westbowpress.com
Designed for personal and small-group study, Redirect serves as a guide for those who want real, long-term freedom from pornography and its addictive control.
The Shape of Joy
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF MOVING BEYOND YOURSELF
By Dr. Richard Beck (’89)
ISBN 978-8887820019 • 174 pages • broadleafbooks.com
Beck, ACU professor of psychology, draws from the principles of positive psychology to provide readers a road map toward a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.
Made Competent
A STORY ABOUT LIFE IN MINISTRY
By Casey Coston (’03 M.Div.)
ISBN 978-1637462805 • 252 pages • kharispublishing.com
In this personal glimpse into the challenges of campus ministry, Coston writes for all kinds of ministers, helping a new generation consider a career of difference-making influence in lives of young adults.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Awesome Facts About Space
By Mark Wainwright (’01 M.A.) and Dr. Danny R. Faulkner
ISBN 978-1984413352 • 152 pages • AnswersinGenesis.com
Written for ages 7 and up, this Illumination Book Awards gold medal winner helps children learn about God’s creation of our galaxy and beyond.
The Spider Lady
NAN SONGER AND HER ARACHNID WWII ARMY
By Penny (Parker ’77) Klostermann
ISBN 978-1662680359 • 40 pages • astrapublishinghouse.com
Written for kids age 7-10 who are fascinated by insects and American history, this is the story of a little-known but heroic woman who collected and bred spiders in her home, finding new ways to use their silk to help win World War II.
Join us for an exciting visit event or schedule your personalized visit at acu.edu/visit. The Office of Admissions offers daily personalized tours in the morning and afternoon. Families of high school students are also encouraged to attend a Wildcat Preview Day and get a glimpse of all the action taking place on campus!
FALL 2025 PREVIEW DAYS
• Monday, Oct. 13
• Monday, Oct. 27
• Friday, Nov. 21
See the world with ACU Rising Scholars!
• Monday, Nov. 24
• Friday, Dec. 5
Don’t wait to experience college – be challenged academically while discovering God’s calling in your life.
If you’re a high school sophomore or junior, join Abilene Christian University for a week of international travel to sites such as England and Germany or choose a residential program on ACU’s campus next summer. Students earn college credit, build community and expand their horizons with life-changing memories. Learn more at acu.edu/risingscholars.
Refer a Wildcat Finding New Wildcats
Do you know a student who would thrive at ACU?
We want to get to know them!
Scan the QR code to Refer a Wildcat to the Office of Admissions.
To help foster relationships with prospective students, Abilene Christian has assigned dedicated professionals to various geographic markets and areas of academic focus.
Scan the QR code to meet the team or call 800-460-6228.
Quotables “
I heard a preacher do for me what I’m attempting to do for you: describe the grace that is greater than sin. When, at the end of the message, he asked if anyone would like to come forward and receive this grace, iron chains could not have held me back. ... That was 50 years ago.
In the intervening years I have failed Christ, but he has never failed me. I found a forgiveness that is too deep to be plumbed, too high to be summited. I have never been more or less saved than the moment I was first saved. Not one bad deed has deducted from my salvation. No good deed, if there are any, has enhanced it. My salvation has nothing to do with my work and everything to do with the finished work of Christ on the cross.”
– Max Lucado (’77), bestselling author and teaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, speaking March 29 at ACU’s President’s Circle Dinner.
Lucado shared how his life changed as a 20-year-old ACU student, through relationships with faithful friends such as former classmate Steve Green (’77), faculty mentors such as the late Dr. Carl Brecheen (’52), and an encounter with God’s grace during a March 11, 1975, sermon at Abilene’s Highland Church of Christ.
AUG. 30 - Football at Tulsa • Tulsa, OK
SEPT. 13 - Football at TCU • Fort Worth
SEPT. 27 - Football at UIW • San Antonio
NOV. 19 - Women’s Basketball at UNT • Denton
DEC. 2 - Men’s Basketball at Pepperdine • Malibu, CA
DEC. 16 - Men’s Basketball at Arizona • Tucson, AZ
DEC. 19 - Men’s Basketball at BYU • Provo, UT
SEPT. 19-20, 2025
For the latest visit acu.edu/alumni acu.edu/youtube acu.edu/facebook acu.edu/linkedin acu.edu/twitter acu.edu/instagram
EX PERIENCES
The majority of obituary information in the EXperiences section of ACU Today is available in our online edition at acu.edu/acutoday or by scanning this QR code.
This follows a trend begun several years ago in alumni magazines published by other colleges and universities, and one we have studied at length in an effort to maximize the space in our printed edition for news and event coverage, and storytelling of all kinds.
We continue, however, to devote several pages of the printed edition with memorial spotlights of faculty, staff and students; emeriti; trustees; award and honorary degree recipients; and major benefactors who have passed away since our last issue.
Several of those spotlighted here on our “In Memoriam” pages –46 and 47 of this issue – are also profiled briefly at acu.edu/news.
Obituary news
We honor all requests of family members to publish obituary news for an alumnus or alumna, and the information we compose will appear in either the printed or online editions, or both. Submit obituary information at acu.edu/obit
It’s best for a member of the deceased’s immediate family to submit notification, preferably with a link to an official published obituary in a newspaper or on a funeral home website.
ACU Today is mailed twice a year, so depending on when we receive the obituary information in our production and printing cycle, the news could be delayed until we next publish.
To submit EXperiences news
Share your other news online at acu.edu/experiences
We welcome news about your life and career – marriages, births, adoptions, new jobs, relocations, retirement, academic degrees, awards and honors, published books – and know your classmates will enjoy keeping up with you and yours as much as we do.
To help ensure the privacy of our alumni, ACU Today no longer prints email or postal addresses of those whose self-reported news appears in EXperiences. So if you would like contact information for someone listed here, please call 800-373-4220 or email alumni@acu.edu for assistance. Thanks, and happy reading!
1962
Rita Boykin lives in Texas City, Texas, where she was recently honored by Texas City ISD for her 35 years of teaching, most of it to fourth-graders. She is the namesake of the library at Roosevelt-Wilson Elementary School in recognition of her commitment to teaching.
1967
Beth Clevenger Summers has relocated to Clayton, California, where she opened her Dana Ridge Home Studio Art Gallery. She is retired from teaching in Los Angeles public schools and at California State University, Northridge.
BY RON HADFIELD
1975
Mark Coley is head football coach at Medina (Texas) High School. He was inducted in 2023 to the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Hall of Honor. He and his wife, Vicki (Lee), live in Kerrville, Texas.
1976
Teresa (McElvain) Carter has a new great-grandson, Liam. She retired from teaching in 2020 and has been a substitute middleand high-school teacher for Golden Valley USD. She and her husband, Jack (’71), live in Madera, California.
1979
Former principal Kathy (Hunn) Green and her husband, Gregory, live in Forney, Texas. She was recognized in December 2024 by the Forney ISD Board of Trustees with the Forney Legacy Award. She continues to volunteer in the district’s schools and on various committees.
1981
Linda (Hall) Garrett and her husband, Steve, of Springtown, Texas, lost their daughter, Elizabeth Dawn Garrett, on Sept. 4, 2024. She died from liver disease complications due to biliary atresia and was on a liver transplant list.
1982
Robin (Ward) Saylor retired in May 2025 after 17 years as director of content strategy in ACU’s Division of Marketing and Strategic Communications, and has been named editor of Authentic Texas magazine. She and her husband, Guy, live in Abilene, Texas.
1985
MARRIED
Gayland Avance (’75) and Martha (Colglazier ’78) Leeson, May 4, 2024.
1989
Georgia (Wright) Head and her husband, Benjamin (’86), have moved from Louisiana and now live in Burleson, Texas.
1991
In May 2025, Stacey Gibson concluded a 34-year career in education. She taught 15 years in Killeen ISD and was an educational diagnostician for 19 years in the Belton and Mansfield ISDs, and retired from Ellis County Shared Services Arrangement, which services Italy, Avalon and Milford ISDs. She lives in Waxahachie, Texas.
1993
Malik Crowder, director of the Heman Sweatt Center at The University of Texas at
Austin, received the 2025 President’s Outstanding Staff Award, which annually honors 30 UT staff members who have shown extraordinary commitment, initiative, and service to the university community. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Pflugerville, Texas.
1995
In January 2025, Jeff Garner became chief of police for the City of North Richland Hills, Texas. He began serving in the NRHPD 26 years ago, and was named the force’s Officer of the Year in 2002 and Supervisor of the Year in 2011. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
1997
Dr. Stephanie Lopez-Neyman is assistant professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition of the College of Health Professions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
BORN
To Dr. Andrei and Apurva Duta, a boy, Alexander William, Aug. 17, 2024. They live in Georgetown, Texas.
2001
Sara (Willis) Watterson’s novel, This Dreamer, was one of 11 winners of a 2023 Christy Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, which recognizes top Christian fiction writers through annual juried competition. Watterson’s book was voted best in the Young Adult category. Sara teaches digital art to high school students and writes Sweet Romance novels for teens under the pen name Eva Austin. She and her husband, Preston, live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
2002
BORN
To Brett and Katherine (Brown) Mach, a boy, David Warner, March 11, 2024. They live in Houston, Texas.
2003
BORN
To Jonathan and Monya (Brown ’18) Barton, a boy, Anton Edward, Oct. 24, 2024. They live in Abilene, Texas.
2005
BORN
To Jourdan and Tara (Horner) Plummer, a boy, Carter Miles, April 22, 2024. They live in Aubrey, Texas.
To Glenn and Kerbi (DuBois ’06) Hardwick, a boy, Andrew Henry, Feb. 8, 2025. They live in Temple, Texas.
2006
Dr. Brandy Lynch, associate professor and program coordinator for physical education at the University of Central Missouri, has been elected to the Board of
Directors for SHAPE America – the Society of Health and Physical Educators. She also serves as president of MOSHAPE (Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators), where she leads statewide initiatives in advocacy, professional development and convention planning. She lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
2007
BORN
To Andrew and Angela (Rawlings) Johnson, a girl, Evelyn Susan, Dec. 13, 2024. They live in Bay City, Texas.
2008
BORN
To Tim and Amy (Tonick) Miller, a boy, Timothy Ryan Jr., Nov. 7, 2023. They are celebrating 15 years of marriage, have three daughters and live in Dallas, Texas.
To Joshua and Kya Gorenflo, a girl, Ellie Marie, March 2, 2025. They live in Soldotna, Alaska
2009
BORN
To Chris and Carrie (Gallman) Witting, a girl, Camdyn Virginia, Feb. 9, 2024. They live in New Braunfels, Texas.
To Elvis and Megan (Jeter) Tamakloe, a boy, Elvis Jr., Aug. 14, 2024. They live in Fairfax, Virginia.
2010
BORN
To Josh and Fitia Groves, a boy, Josiah Aiko, April 2, 2025. They live in Abilene, Texas.
2011
BORN
To Travis and Kristen (McBride ’12) Ball, a boy, Cason, Nov. 13, 2024. They live in Fort Worth, Texas.
To Tracy Baggett , a girl, Brooke Abigail, Nov. 17, 2024. They live in Richmond, Texas.
2012
Gladys Brangman, who has an M.A. in conflict resolution and reconciliation from ACU, received the prestigious 2024 New York State WBE (Women Business Entrepreneur) Award for her work in helping women build and sustain their business dreams. She founded BLOC (Business Leaders of Colors) in Ithaca, New York. She and her husband, Ravindra, live in Lansing, New York.
BORN
To Christopher and Melanie (Stewart ’11) Cornell, a boy, Dean, July 17, 2024. They live in Cedar Park, Texas.
2013
BORN
To Stephen and Mary Beth (Carter) Salas, a girl, Elizabeth “Ellie” May,
Continued on Page 43
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
Almost every day, alumni return to campus – each with a different reason for revisiting their old stomping grounds.
Some bring children to tour the university as prospective students to learn more about what ACU has to offer. Some visit to watch a student performance, to speak in a class or Chapel, or to watch one of our teams compete. Some are here for Homecoming or to visit their child during Family Weekend. Others come back simply to visit a place that continues to mean so much to them.
I love having the opportunity to see alumni when they are back on the Hill, and one of my favorite things is seeing their reaction to the changes on campus.
Their eyes light up as they see new facilities that were not around the last time they were here. They are so excited to walk into a renovated Moody Coliseum for Chapel and see our students participating in Praise Friday. They are amazed to see new science buildings where our students are learning to make a real difference in the world and the new residence halls where our students build relationships.
We hope you all find reasons to return to campus. No matter how different the landscape looks, you’ll still find it filled with an amazing community of people and a unique mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.
God is constantly at work here, and there is so much to be thankful for. We hope to see you on campus this academic year. You are always invited to come home.
– CRAIG FISHER (’92) Associate Vice President for Advancement and Alumni
BORN TO BE A WILDCAT
The Alumni Relations Office will send a FREE Wildcat BabyWear T-shirt (12-month size) to the alumni parents of each newborn or adopted infant in your family!
Complete the info online at acu.edu/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.
ACU NEWSMAKERS
On March 4, former Wildcat football standout Anthony Egbo Jr. (’22) spoke to a U.S. congressional committee about the potential changes to name, image and likeness deals for college athletes. Egbo, director of ACU’s Wildcat Annual Fund and vice chair of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, addressed the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a session titled “Moving the Goalposts: How NIL is Reshaping College Athletics.” Egbo was joined by Emily Cole, former Duke University track star; Justin Falcinelli, former Clemson University football star and vice president of the College Football Players Association; Josh Whitman, University of Illinois director of athletics; and Shane Beamer, University of South Carolina head football coach. Egbo earned a B.A. in psychology and an MBA degree (2024), both from ACU. He was named the 2023-24 FCS Athletic Directors Association Scholar Athlete of the Year and Academic All-Western Athletic Conference three times.
Marcus Lopez (’00) was one of three recipients of a 2024 Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Television Series of the Year for the show “Chasing CAIN,” on which he serves as a producer. The documentary series follows the lives and performances of contemporary Christian music band CAIN. Lopez is senior director of streaming services at Trinity Broadcasting Network in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Office of Intercultural Engagement and Belonging celebrated Women’s History Month on campus at the Dr. Patricia Hernandez and Brenda Van Dunk Women’s Leadership Award Luncheon on March 20, 2025. Honorees were Dr. Susan (Lester ’92) Lewis, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Ramonica Scott , associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition,
and director of the Master of Athletic Training program; and Naoemi Gire (’14), executive director of University Access Programs. The event recognizes women who have made a difference at the university. Its namesakes are Hernandez, professor emerita of biology, and the late Van Dunk, assistant professor of social work.
David Catalina (’69) received the Ed Enzor Global Servant Award from Global Samaritan Resources at the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration. The late Enzor was an ACU professor of communications for more than 40 years who founded GSR to provide humanitarian aid by sending surplus goods around the world to those in need. Catalina was a founding manager of its supplies warehouse on the original North First Street campus of Abilene Christian.
Major accounting firm Weaver added Jeremy Winkler (’12) as a partner in assurance services. He has been with Weaver in Fort Worth, Texas, for more than a decade in various roles. Winkler also earned a M.Acc. degree in 2012 from ACU.
Dr. Aric Tate (’15), a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Nuclear Physics Laboratory, was named one of eight 2024 ATLAS Thesis Award winners by The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Tate earned his doctorate in 2024, specializing in proton-ion collisions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), exploring the role of proton size fluctuations in nuclear collision data. The ATLAS Collaboration has more than 5,500 members from over 180 institutions, and is one of the largest collaborative efforts ever attempted in science.
Eean Cochran (’15) was a cast member in the original Broadway show, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, which closed in New York City in February 2025. Cochran previously performed in Hamilton on Broadway.
Master Sgt. Gordon Storey (’18 M.S.S.W.) was one of 10 individuals selected worldwide as a 2024 CNN Hero for his work helping airmen at Dyess Air Force Base find purpose and community through service. Storey also uses his degree in his role as case manager at Hendrick Home for Children.
The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame’s 2025 Pat Gerald Memorial Legacy Award recognized two generations of a Wildcat family with deep roots in track and field and cross country: the late Don W. Hood (’55) and his sons, Joel Hood (’84), Don D. Hood (’87) and Derek Hood (’90). The elder Hood – a pole vaulting guru who coached 16 Olympians and is namesake of the Coach Don W. Hood Fieldhouse on campus – had Wildcat teams win two NAIA and eight NCAA Division II national championships in 11 years (1977-88). Don D. was the head track and field coach from 2005-09 and led the men to Division II outdoor titles from 2006-08 and the women to the outdoor championship in 2008. Derek was head cross country coach from 2005-08 and led the Wildcats to back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007. Joel is head track coach at Jacksboro (Texas) High School.
Minister and bestselling Christian author Max Lucado (’77) was featured speaker at the ninth annual “Good Friday Nashville” worship event at Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee. The April 18, 2025, concert featured artists Chris Tomlin, Luke Bryan, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham and Brooke Ligertwood
John Mark Stallings and Gene Stallings
Former longtime ACU trustee Gene Stallings is featured in a new documentary, “Do Right: The Stallings Standard,” profiling the former head football coach of Texas A&M University (1965-71), the University of Alabama (1990-96), and the NFL’s St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals (1986-89). Stallings’ Crimson Tide team won the 1992 College Football Bowl Coalition national championship with a 13-0 record. Stallings was a member of ACU’s Board of Trustees from 1988-2006 and co-authored Another Season: A Coach’s Story of Raising an Exceptional Son, about his relationship with his late son, John Mark Stallings, who had Down syndrome.
Emily Crawford (’01 M.S.) was named city manager of Abilene, Texas, after serving in that role since 2015 in Brownwood, Texas. She is 2025-26 president of the Texas City Management Association.
The Terry Childers Community Room in Oklahoma City’s Community Health Recreation & Wellness Center was dedicated May 8, in memory of the late Dr. Terry L. Childers (’74), its first Black city manager and a longtime influential business and civic leader. Childers was an ACU trustee from 1988-2008.
Education honors and appointments
• The namesake of Birdville (Texas) ISD’s new Dr. Bob E. Griggs High School is a 1971 ACU graduate who was a 19992000 recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Citation. Griggs was BISD superintendent from 1993-2002, and later served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
• Dr. Jeff Reese (’93) was named dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A former ACU baseball letterman, he previously was chair of the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling at Auburn University.
• Ashley (Urbanek ’11) West was named principal of Abilene (Texas) ISD’s Craig Middle School. She has 14 years of experience in secondary education, and was previously dean of instruction at Cooper High School. West was named 2024-25 Region 14 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary Principals.
• Dr. Deborah Wills Covault (’24 Ed.D.) was named principal of Union Hill Elementary School in the Round Rock (Texas) ISD. An 18-year veteran teacher and administrator, she most recently served Lampasas (Texas) ISD as principal of its middle school.
• Two Wildcat football lettermen were recently named chief athletics administrators as well as head coaches of Texas high schools. Casey Carr (’11) is the new athletics director and head football coach at Rogers High School, and Bryson Lewis (’12) is athletics coordinator and head football coach at W.T. White High School in Dallas. Wildcats in professional sports
• Forward Jaren Lewis (’19) finished the 2024-25 season as the leading scorer (15.7 points per game) and second-leading rebounder (7 per game) for Avellino in the Italian Serie A-2 professional basketball league.
• After three years with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, linebacker Jack Gibbens (’20) signed a free agent contract to play for the New England Patriots in the 2025 season. Derron Montgomery (’11) begins his fourth season
with the Minnesota Vikings as offensive quality control assistant coach.
• Four Wildcats are playing baseball for minor league affiliates of MLB teams in 2025: Tyler Morgan (’23); pitcher, Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) in the Class A (Advanced) Midwest League; Rolando De La Cruz (’24), pitcher, Inland Empire 66ers (Kansas City Royals) in the Class A California League; Logan Britt (’27), pitcher, Tri-State Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels) in the Class A (Advanced) Northwest League; and Dash Albus (’28), pitcher, Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals) in the Class A Carolina League.
John (’07) and Chelsea (Heard ’08) Giles of Lubbock, Texas, successfully pitched their business, Domedock, on the March 14 ABC-TV episode of “Shark Tank.” They secured an investment offer from co-host Kevin O’Leary for their innovative wall-mounted ball cap storage solution that has evolved into a thriving business since its start in 2019.
SERVING YOU ADVANCING ACU
Do you want to learn about giving opportunities, host an event, volunteer or just learn more about how you can be involved with ACU where you live?
To help foster relationships with alumni and future students, Abilene Christian has assigned personnel from its Advancement and Alumni Relations offices to major markets in Texas as well as Nashville, Tennessee, and other parts of the nation. An advancement officer (AO) assists prospective donors, while an alumni relations officer (ARO) assists with alumni connections, efforts to gather ACU alumni and to work with volunteers within the community.
Through this territory team approach, these dedicated professionals can provide exceptional service to those who so graciously and generously help advance the university and ensure it achieves its mission.
ABILENE AND THE BIG COUNTRY
Anthony Williams (AO) • 325-829-4328, williamsa@acu.edu
Taylor Fender (ARO) • 325-674-2804, taylor.fender@acu.edu
WEST TEXAS AREA
Anthony Williams (AO) • 325-829-4328, williamsa@acu.edu
Taylor Fender (ARO) • 325-674-2804, taylor.fender@acu.edu
AUSTIN AREA
Jim Orr (AO) • 214-733-3689, jim.orr@acu.edu
Abby Easley (ARO) • 325-674-2627, abby.easley@acu.edu
FORT WORTH AREA
Jim Orr (AO) • 214-733-3689, jim.orr@acu.edu
Craig Fisher (ARO) • 325-674-2622, craig.fisher@acu.edu
DALLAS AREA
Brad Reeves (AO) • 214-728-4478, brad.reeves@acu.edu
Jim Orr (AO) • 214-733-3689, jim.orr@acu.edu
Craig Fisher (ARO) • 325-674-2244, craig.fisher@acu.edu
HOUSTON AREA
Sherri Scott-Cook (AO) • 972-816-8598, sherri.cook@acu.edu
Taylor Fender (ARO) • 325-674-2804, taylor.fender@acu.edu
SAN ANTONIO / SOUTH TEXAS AREA
Anthony Williams (AO) • 325-829-4328, williamsa@acu.edu
Abby Easley (ARO) • 325-674-2627, abby.easley@acu.edu
NASHVILLE AREA / EASTERN U.S.
Jim Orr (AO) • 214-733-3689, jim.orr@acu.edu
Recent operational endowments created
• Jeanene Reese Endowment for Women in Christian Ministry
• David Leeson Endowed Fund for Excellence in Journalism
• Cheryl Mann Bacon Endowment for ACUTV
Recent scholarship endowments created
• Carol Kerr Poe Elementary Education Endowed Scholarship
• Dr. Vera Campbell-Jones Endowed Scholarship
• Kenneth T. Murphy College of Business Endowed Scholarship
• Della Fiske-Turner Endowed Scholarship for Teacher Education
• Albert O. and Mary B. (Hemphill) Starr Endowed Education Scholarship
• Lt. Col. Michael “Taz” Michaelis Endowed Scholarship for Baseball
• Martha (Morris) and Marie (Nakamura) Endowed Scholarship
• William Everett Heyen Endowed Scholarship for Art and Design
• G. Harvey Endowment for Art - A Time for Faith and Family
To create your own operational or scholarship endowment, or contribute to an existing one, see acu.edu/give or call 800-588-1514.
Future art and design majors will benefit from scholarships in memory of Heyen
There’s always a story behind each of the operational and scholarship endowments created at ACU, and the Higher Ground campaign (see Pages 14-21) had its share.
One – the new William Everett Heyen Endowed Scholarship for Art and Design – is especially poignant. It was lovingly established by William’s parents in memory of their talented 24-year-old son, who died April 27, 2025, in a vehicle accident. Don Heyen, D.D.S. (’90), and Wynn (Bradley ’92) Heyen of Wichita Falls, Texas, hope it will help junior and senior art majors finish their degrees.
“Wynn and I both had wonderful college experiences at ACU,” Don said. “Our hopes were that our kids, Abby (Heyen ’19) Browning and William, would find the same loving, nurturing environment that would not only help them earn a degree, but would provide a continued step in their spiritual growth, as well as develop lifelong friends.”
William had a love for art, music, good food and travel.
“He had incredible natural talent, truly God-given abilities, revealed with a pencil or paint brush or with the ability to play any instrument he picked up,” Wynn said. “He was a deeply passionate and creative soul who lived life simply and authentically.”
After May 2022 Commencement, William lived for two years with cousins in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, while working as a freelance artist with commissions including illustrations, portraits, environmental graphics, logos and branding. He also inspired new musicians in Manhattan while teaching guitar, piano, vocals and percussion at Real Brave Music School. He moved in 2024 to Estes Park, Colorado, to work in culinary arts as an assistant chef at Rocky Ridge Music Center.
“We deeply appreciate the Heyens and their years of thoughtful philanthropy, especially this endowment created to help others and given while in a time of great personal loss,” said Dan Macaluso, former vice president for advancement. “They understand the difference a higher education at ACU makes in a young person’s life.”
“This legacy opportunity is a unique way to honor William and his creative gifts,” Wynn said. “It also offers generosity to others in need at an educational institution we value and love.” – RON HADFIELD
Continued from Page 37
October 2024. Stephen was named ACU’s head women’s soccer coach in 2022 and the family lives in Abilene, Texas.
2014
BORN
To John and Jasmine (Gaston) Gray-Payne, a boy, Jonas, Aug. 23, 2024. They have another son and live in Arlington, Texas.
To Evan and Rachel (Faulkner) Whyte, a boy, Calvin “Cal” Taylor, June 28, 2024. Rachel is the theatre director at Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis, Indiana, the largest private school in the state. Cal was born within a week of their 10th wedding anniversary. They live in Camby, Indiana.
To Connor and Laine (Foith ’15) VanSteenberg, a girl, Penny, Feb. 7, 2025. They have one other child and live in Richardson, Texas.
To Trey and Chelsea (Emberlin ’15) Wrapp, a girl, Sunny, May 9, 2025. They live in Schertz, Texas.
2015
BORN
To Jonny and Ashley (Davis) Hill, a girl, Mirren, Jan. 31, 2024. They live in Austin, Texas.
To Tyler and Dayna (Coppedge) O’Neal, a boy, Weston, June 5, 2024. They live in Georgetown, Texas.
To Michael and Jaime (Gordon) Murata, a girl, Jenna Harper, Sept. 26, 2024. They live in San Antonio, Texas.
To Andrew and Hallie (Wells) Orman, a boy, Wells Reilly Mac, Oct. 31, 2024. They live in Richardson, Texas.
To Nolan and Ashley Bryan, a girl, Elizabeth Kay, March 17, 2025. They live in Norman, Oklahoma.
2016
Robert Cerasoli recently completed five years as executive director of the Mass Hire South Shore Workforce Board, which serves 22 cities and towns south of Boston. The governor reappointed him to the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts State Library and the Speaker of the House House has appointed him to the State House Arts Commission. He lives in Quincy, Massachusetts.
BORN
To Drew and Alyssa (Cavazos) Dossett , a girl, Emery Alayna, April 2, 2024. They live in San Antonio, Texas.
To Austin and Christina (Phillips) Stevens, a boy, Samuel, Oct. 14, 2024, and a boy, Caleb, July 25, 2022. They live in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.
To Josh and Nicole (Kass ’17) Bosley, a boy, Beckham James, Nov. 19, 2024. They live in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.
2017
Patty Collins (’17 M.S.) was named assistant vice president of operations and institutional services at Lamar State College-Orange in Orange, Texas. Collins earned a Master of Science in organizational development. She has been employed by LSCO for eight years and lives in Bridge City, Texas. BORN
To Adam and Courtney (Thate) Lubbers, a boy, Patrick Charles, Jan. 21, 2024. They live in Murphy, Texas.
To Victor and Jeannette (Avila Venegas) Garcia, a girl, Josie, May 8, 2024.
To Robert and Hannakate (Hall) Lichota, a girl, Lucia Jane, May 12, 2024. They live in Oak Park, Illinois.
To George and Leanne (Porter) Ollre, a boy, Albert George “Georgie” VI, Aug. 27, 2024. They live in Conroe, Texas.
To Alex and Camryn (Phillips ’19) Stewart , a girl, Landry, June 15, 2023, and a boy, Wyatt, Dec. 27, 2024. They live in Bulverde, Texas.
2018
BORN
To Bryson and Jenna (Lightfoot) Jennings, a girl, Harper Leigh, April 7, 2025. They also have a son and live in Rogers, Arkansas.
2019
BORN
To Carson and Emily Covey, a boy, Caden Carson, Jan. 23, 2025. They live in Dallas, Texas.
To Trevor and Katy (Herring) Hunt , a girl, Clara-Jo Rossi, April 8, 2025. They have three other children and live in Clifton, Texas.
Rodney Richard Fedell (’80), one of ACU’s greatest men’s basketball players, died Jan. 5, 2025, in Tyler, Texas, at age 66. He was born Jan. 29, 1958, in Augsburg, Germany, and was a member of the Miami Nation of Indiana and the great-great-great-grandson of Chief Francis Godfroy. He earned a B.B.A. degree in management and led the 1979-80 Wildcats to a 27-5 record and the second round of the national
2020
MARRIED
Jacob Moore and Shannon Buergner, March 23, 2024. They live in Austin, Texas.
BORN
To Adam and Audrey (Linder) Kusic, a girl, Lucy Jane, Jan. 10, 2025. They live in Austin, Texas.
To Joseph and Holly (Dorn) Conrad, a girl, Ada Ruth, Feb. 15, 2025. They live in Dallas, Texas.
2021
Dr. Erin Wilson (’21 Ed.D.) recently co-authored a book, Strategic Rest in Leadership: The NAP Framework, a guide for leaders seeking to balance well-being and productivity without burnout. She is CEO of Design Ideal Consulting and facilitates leadership development experiences for corporate, nonprofit and higher education organizations across the U.S. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
BORN
To Zack and Alisha (Norman) Bishop, a boy, Brady, Aug. 3, 2024. They live in Fulshear, Texas.
To Chase and Annika (Wissmann) Anderson, a girl, Vera May, Jan. 7, 2025. They have another daughter, Mallory Jay, and live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
2022
BORN
To Reece and Anna (Hosking) Davidson, a boy, Reuben Louis, May 30, 2024. They live in Broomfield, Colorado.
To Cody and Lauren (McBay) McAfee, a boy, Archer, June 5, 2024. They live in Haltom City, Texas.
To Jace and Kathryn (Norman) Usrey, a girl, Kinsley Bennett, Dec. 3, 2024. They live in McKinney, Texas.
2023
BORN
To Landon and Hannah (McLean) Bailey, a girl, Hattie Kate, Feb. 6, 2025. They live in Abilene, Texas.
tournament, earning first team All-Lone Star Conference, NAIA All-District and All-American honors. He led ACU in scoring three years and in rebounding one year, and four times was named first-team Academic All-LSC. Fedell is Abilene Christian’s second leading men’s basketball career scorer (1,810 points) and career leader in field goals made (714), free throw attempts (584), free throws made (382) and best field goal percentage (.617). He played professionally in Germany and Uruguay, and was inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was a first lieutenant who served eight years in the Army Airborne
Continued on Page 46
PURPLE PEOPLE
Whether flashing the WC, handing out hugs or simply enjoying time together, Wildcats gather on campus and around the world to share their stories and celebrate their common love for each other and for ACU. Here are just a few images we’ve saved since our last issue. Share others with us at acutoday@acu.edu
1) FROM LEFT: Dr. James Wiser, former dean of library science and technology, presents Dr. Carisse Berryhill with the 2025 Friend of the Year award from the Friends of ACU Library. Berryhill, who recently retired as professor emerita of library science, was recognized Feb. 24.
FROM LEFT: Tommy (’64) and Kay (Maples ’64) Lyons, and Denise (Lyons ’85) Dickinson attended the 2025 Lifetime Giving Society Reception on March 29.
Veteran actor Ben Jeffrey (’06) was the cabaret headliner March 3 along with 12 ACU Theatre students at the 54 Below supper club in New York City. Jeffrey has played Pumbaa in “The Lion King” at Broadway’s Minsk Theatre since 2010.
BELOW: The next night, students performed their B.F.A. Showcase for industry agents and casting directors at the off-Broadway Actors Temple Theatre, followed by a reception for alumni and friends of ACU Theatre. See story on Page 4.
FROM LEFT: Sherri Scott-Cook (’96), ACU board chair April (Bullock ’87) Anthony and Susan (Scott ’98) Bennett posed at the dedication. Cook and Bennett are daughters of the late Al (’61) and Dottie Scott and granddaughters of Crutcher Scott Field’s namesake, a 1924 alumnus and longtime trustee.
2) Namesakes of the McCaleb and Miller Teamroom in Bullock Brothers Ballpark met up on April 12 at the venue’s dedication event. Former longtime ACU administrator Dr. Gary McCaleb (’64) and trustee C. Todd Miller (’62) were collegiate teammates as well as instrumental in helping restart the Wildcat baseball program at their alma mater in the early 1990s.
3-4) ACU students and faculty have had unique opportunities to learn from professionals involved in producing “The Chosen,” a TV series now in its fifth season.
Multimedia-film major Brenna Raffels (’24), posing here with actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus, interned on production crews shooting in the summer of 2024. In mid-May 2025, Dr. Kyle Dickson (’93), professor of language and literature and director of ACU’s Learning Studio, and Matt Maxwell (’07), filmmaker in residence, took multimedia-film majors and other students to one of the sets in Midlothian, Texas, used for “The Chosen” on their way to visit studios in Nashville, Tennessee, including Kingdom Story Company, to learn more about the industry.
Continued from Page 46
Rangers, and later owned a roofing company. Fedell was preceded in death by his father, Richard F. Fedell, and a brother, Stephen Fedell. Among survivors are his mother, Karleen Fedell; sons Lucas Fedell, Zachary Fedell and Reagan Fedell; a daughter, Taylor Nicole Trimble; two grandchildren; brothers Ricky Fedell and Randy Fedell; and a sister, Kelly Fedell Howerton.
Dr. H. Jeff Warr Jr. (’72), died Jan. 18, 2025, in Dallas, Texas, at age 75. He was born Oct. 16, 1949, in Amarillo, Texas. He earned a B.A. and M.A. (1974) from ACU, both in mass communication, and a doctorate in mass communication and advertising from the University of Tennessee (1982). He taught in ACU’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication from 1974-81 and 1999-2000. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hollis Jefferson Warr Sr. and Kathleen Stephens Warr. Among survivors are his wife, Patricia Kozak; a sister, Pam McAllister; sons Hollis Jefferson Warr III (’11) and Lawrence Alexander Warr; and four grandchildren.
Prominent local architect and ACU major benefactor James D. “Jimmy” Tittle, FAIA (’49), 97, died June 22, 2025, in Abilene, Texas. He was born Oct. 15, 1927, in Abilene and enrolled at ACU before transferring to Texas A&M University, where he finished a degree in architecture in 1949. The son of former ACU trustee G.B. “Blue” Tittle (1916-23), he served two years in the Army before co-founding Tittle Luther Partnership. He served as president of the Texas Society of Architects, was appointed to the Texas Commission on the Arts, was a founding member of the Texas Cultural Trust, and was named chancellor of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (1998) and a distinguished alumnus of Texas A&M (2023). He or his firm designed more than 30 major buildings at ACU, including Brown Library, Don H. Morris Center, Mabee Business Building, Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building, Hunter Welcome Center and the Teague Center. Tittle was named Abilene’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1988. He was preceded in death by his parents, G.B. and Hester Tittle, and siblings Juanita Tittle Pollard (’31), Waurene Tittle Cannon (’33), G.B. Tittle Jr. (’35), Louis Mack Tittle (’39), Mary Frances Tittle Kennedy (’41) and Rebecca Tittle Barker (’45)
Vickie Rae Cardot , 70, of Abilene, Texas, died Jan. 25, 2025. She was born Aug. 27, 1954, and earned a B.S. degree in social work from Harding University in 1976 and an M.S. in family studies from ACU in 1989. She taught American Sign Language at ACU and Hardin-Simmons University for 21 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Hill and Betty Ann Hill; a sister, Rita Hill; and a brother, Melvin Hill. Among survivors are her husband, Dr. Joe Cardot III, professor emeritus of communication and sociology; daughters Amber (Cardot ’05) Davies and Ashleigh Cameron (’08); two grandchildren; and brothers Marvin Hill and Roy Hill.
Robert Earl Davidson (’52), 95, died Jan. 31, 2025, in College Station, Texas. He was born Aug. 22, 1929, in Port Arthur, Texas. He was captain of the freshman football team at Texas A&M University before transferring to ACU, where he played on the undefeated 11-0 team in 1950. He met classmate Myrt Kelly (’53) while they served as counselors at Camp Shiloh in New Jersey, and they wed in December 1952. In 1954, they moved to College Station, where Bob served as college minister for the A&M Church of Christ (1954-58) before becoming dean of students at Pepperdine University. The Davidsons were missionaries to Thailand from 1963-70, then returned to the A&M
Church of Christ, where his influential Aggies for Christ campus ministry thrived for the next three decades. Bob earned Abilene Christian’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1970, and he and Myrt received ACU’s Christian Service Award in 1997. He was preceded in death by his parents, Allie Sikes Davidson and Albert Davidson; Myrt, his wife of 64 years; a brother, Charlie Davidson; and a sister, Betty Davidson Ayers. Among survivors are sons Kelly Davidson (’77) and Kenny Davidson (’81); daughters Ruth Davidson Rickaway, Debby Davidson Napoli (’82) and Sarah Davidson (’91); 12 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mildred Davidson Bates (’60)
Longtime ACU staff member Roma Lee Mays Aberegg, 84, of Abilene, Texas, died Feb. 27, 2025. She was born May 29, 1940, in Big Spring, Texas, attended business college in Midland, Texas, and wed Tommy Aberegg on May 27, 1960. She worked at Reid Brothers Oil in Coahoma, Texas, and from 1976 through retirement in 1993 as gift accountant in ACU’s Finance Office. She taught Bible classes for preschoolers and was treasurer of Women for Abilene Christian University. She was preceded in death by her parents, Romy Luther Mays and Nora Lee Morren Mays; Tommy, her husband of 54 years; and a brother, Jimmy Luther Mays. Among survivors are her daughters Tommye Lee “T Lee” (Aberegg ’08) Rodgers and Kimmy Sue (Aberegg ’88) Pharis; six grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and a brother, Dennis Mays (’78)
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Kenneth Wayne Rich, CPA (’50), died March 3, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas, at age 100. He was born Feb. 18, 1925, in Electra, Texas. He co-piloted a B-24 in the Pacific during World War II, and wed Virginia Lee Sheerer (’48) shortly after his return to the States in November 1945. Rich returned to active service in Japan during the Korean War, and was in the Air Force reserves until retirement. He earned a B.S. degree in accounting from ACU and a MBA from The University of Texas at San Antonio, teaching economics part time at the latter for a decade. He was an active church leader, and the couple served in congregations in Georgia, Japan, New Mexico and Texas. They also were involved with Sojourners as part of their love for travel. The Riches helped found and operate Camp Bandina in the Texas Hill Country. In 2009, ACU dedicated its Rich Welcome Plaza and Labyrinth in honor of Kenneth and Virginia, who were generous with more than 700 gifts to the university during their lifetimes. Following Virginia’s death in 2011, he married Vera Jean Spurlock Stanley in June 2015, and they were namesakes of ACU’s Kenneth Wayne and Jean Stanley Rich Endowed Scholarship. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Virgil Rich and Josie Elizabeth Clayton Rich; Virginia, his wife of 65 years; Jean, his second wife of seven years; and a brother, Alvis Rich. Among survivors are children Gail (Rich ’70) Keker, John Rich (’74), Jack Rich (’76) and Alan Rich (’86); 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; Jean’s children, Gaines Stanley Jr. (’68), Michael Stanley (’71), Judith Helvey (’73) and Tim Stanley; and Jean’s nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Moira June (Stent) Fair, 89, of McKinney, Texas, died March 5, 2025. She was born June 3, 1935, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, where she and Dr. Ian A. Fair (’68) met as teenagers and wed Oct. 15, 1955. In 1953 she earned a degree in business administration from Pietermaritzburg Technical College. The Fairs began missions work in their homeland in 1960 among the English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa people. She was a Bible class teacher and mentor to Zulu and Xhosa women and wives, preparing them for leadership roles in their families and churches. Later, she worked with missionaries at home for furlough in Texas and at ACU, and with others through the Natal School of Preaching, Sunset School of Preaching, World Bible School, and Heritage Christian University in Accra, Ghana. She and Ian immigrated to the U.S. in 1974, and Ian joined the ACU faculty in 1978, serving as Bible department chair from 1983-85 and dean of the College of Biblical Studies until 1997. Before retiring, June served several years as administrative
assistant to the dean of ACU’s College of Business Administration. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alan Oscar “Alfie” Stent and Alicia Margaret Dickenson Stent, and an adopted sister, Daphne Stent Wing. Among survivors are Ian, her husband of 69 years; sons Nigel Fair (’81), Douglas Fair (’83) and former ACU trustee Deon Fair; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and “adopted” sons Dr. Andrei Orlov (M.A. ’95), Gary Oliver (M.A. ’90), Bart Moyers (’83) and Vincent Ngema.
Former longtime trustee James N. Muns (’53), 93, died March 6, 2025. He was born Jan. 6, 1932, in Sweetwater, Texas; wed classmate Betty Bell (’53) in 1952; earned a B.S. degree in business administration with minors in psychology and Christian education, and was a member of the undefeated 1950 Wildcat football team. He began his professional career with Wyatt Food Stores, managing supermarkets in Fort Worth and including roles as personnel director, vice president of operations and president while the company expanded to 122 locations in nine states. In 1988, he sold the company to become owner and CEO of Muns Enterprises L.P., a venture capital and investment firm specializing in real estate and related projects. Muns devoted much of his life to public service in Plano, Texas, serving on its City Council (1981-87) and as mayor (1992-96). He was director of the North Texas Commission, a trustee of Presbyterian Hospital Foundation, and board chair of Presbyterian Hospital Plano. He and Betty were named Plano’s Co-Citizens of the Year in 1995. Named his alma mater’s 1999 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year, Muns was an ACU trustee (1981-2002) who co-chaired the record-setting To Lead and To Serve campaign in the mid-1990s, and served on the National Development Council and on the Hope for the Future campaign steering committee. He was an elder at Walnut Hill Church of Christ in Dallas and Pitman Creek Church of Christ in Plano. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elvie Muns and Claude Muns; Betty, his wife of 71 years; and a great-grandchild. Among survivors are children Katharine “Kathy” (Muns ’76) Spencer, Marla Muns (’77), Greg Muns, M.D. (’80) and John Muns (’82); 11 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
Former longtime trustee Kay (Coleman ’62) Skelton, 85, died March 12, 2025, in Denison, Texas. She was born Jan. 16, 1940, in Abilene, Texas, to Ann and A.M. “Tonto” Coleman Jr. (’28), who was ACU head football coach and later, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference. She earned a B.A. degree in mass communication and married classmate Don Skelton, D.D.S. (’63). She coached speech and debate teams at Abilene Cooper High School until Don entered Texas A&M College of Dentistry. They lived in Denver, Colorado, while he was serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, then returned to Texas where Don began a dentistry practice. An avid volunteer in the Denison community, she coached a T-ball team and in 1984, became the first woman to serve as president of the school district’s athletics booster club. She taught Bible classes for nearly five decades at Park Avenue Church of Christ, and led a highly popular women’s study group for years. At ACU, Skelton was a trustee for 15 years (2006-21) and a member of the University Council. She was recognized with the state’s Friend of Education award by the Texas State Teachers Association and received a similar honor for the Red River area by Phi Delta Kappa. She was founding president of the Denison Education Foundation and served seven years on the Texoma Health Foundation, including two terms as president. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Mark Skelton (’92); and a sister, Nancy (Coleman ’66) Blair. Among survivors are Don, her husband of 62 years; a son, Scott Skelton (’89); three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Adjunct faculty member Janet Susan Leavell Jergins, 71, of Abilene, Texas, died April 6, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. She was born Dec. 13, 1953, in Snyder, Texas, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Lubbock Christian University (1976) and a M.M.F.T. degree from ACU (1988). She married Phillip Jergins (’78) on Dec. 31, 1993. She worked as a marriage
and family therapist for 36 years and as a clinical supervisor for ACU’s marriage and family program for more than 20 years. Jergins was preceded in death by her parents, Austin Leavell Jr. and Elizabeth Leavell. Among survivors are her husband, Phillip; children Amanda Armstrong and Matthew Musick; a sister, Lynn (Leavell ’78) Spivey; a brother, Dr. Mark Leavell; five grandchildren; stepsons Joshua Jergins and Jonathan Jergins (’09); and six step-grandchildren.
Longtime communications professional Forrest Clark Potts, 93, of Abilene, Texas, died May 30, 2025. He was born Aug. 13, 1931, in Western Grove and grew up in Rogers and various towns across northwest Arkansas. He was editor of The Optimist student newspaper in 1952-53, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1953, the same year he wed classmate Audrey Kitchens (’55). He began his professional career with Cities Service Oil Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. In 1964, Clark and Audrey returned to Abilene, where they worked for their alma mater until their retirement in 1993. For nearly three decades, most of the images students, alumni, donors and other friends saw of ACU were through Potts’ camera lens. While he was a graphic designer and editor, he was the university’s chief photographer most of that time, and in the pre-video, pre-digital era of communications, Potts’ carefully edited multi-projector 35mm slide shows and motion-picture films were staples of student recruiting and fundraising events and campaigns. He managed photographic services while curating an extensive collection of images for public relations and communications. He also won awards for his photography from the American Advertising Federation and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, many through his work on Horizons and ACU Today magazines. Potts was faculty advisor of The Optimist in 1962-63 and Prickly Pear yearbook in 1967-68, and ACU’s Outstanding Staff Member of the Year in 1977. He served on the Centennial Photography Archivists Team for several years leading up to the university’s 100th school year in 2005-06. During the Centennial, Potts was one of 17 recipients of a John and Ruth Stevens Historical Hashknife Award for pioneering preservation of ACU history.
A gifted writer and Bible school teacher, he authored Catch the Dream, a 1989 ACU Press compilation of inspirational messages he created each week for Hillcrest Church of Christ, where he and Audrey were longtime members. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clinton M. and Mary Suzette Clark Potts; and Audrey, his wife of 48 years. Among survivors are sons Avery Potts (’77) and David Potts (’87); daughter Shannon (Potts ’81) Jones; four grandsons; four great-grandchildren; and a brother, Terry Potts (’61)
JoLynn Calk Bullock (’59), 87, co-namesake of one of ACU’s newest residence halls, died June 9, 2025, in Granbury, Texas. She was born July 31, 1937, in Houston, Texas, and grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She attended ACU for one year before marrying Joe Bullock, and they relocated to Houston in 1965. A few years later they moved to Kingwood, Texas, with several Westbury Church of Christ families to plant another congregation. She formed a personnel agency in 1975 and managed it until 1994, when the Bullocks moved to Granbury to be closer to family. When Joe suffered a significant stroke in 1996, she became his full-time caregiver. She and Joe are honorary co-namesakes of Bullock Hall, a residence hall for first-year students (2021); Anthony and Bullock Lobby in the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center (2011); and the Joe and JoLynn Bullock Endowed Scholarship. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ira Dell Calk and Rosina Calk; Joe, her husband of 56 years; and her son, Joe Bullock (’80). Among survivors are her son, Robert Bullock (’81); her daughter, ACU board chair April (Bullock ’89) Anthony; seven grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
1950
Fern Carver Chester, 97, of Austin, Texas, died May 14, 2025. She was born March 9, 1928, in Amarillo, Texas; earned a B.S. degree in home economics; worked at a public service company for two years; and wed classmate Dr. Ray Chester (’50) in 1952. His ministerial career led them to serve in Churches of Christ in Vernon, Texas; Lawton, Oklahoma; Washington, D.C.; Searcy, Arkansas; and Austin, Texas, before his death in 1987. Fern was a secretary at Sweet Publishing, director of a large Meals on Wheels operation in East Austin, and for 21 years, assistant to the dean at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where she oversaw the doctoral and continuing education programs, and earned a M.Div. degree. She was an active member of American Association of University Women. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Carver and Stella (Witt) Carver; and siblings Leroy Carver (’50), Russell Jay Carver (’52), Stella (Carver ’61) Sherwood and Charles Carver (’62). Among survivors are children Paul Chester (’77), Philip Chester (’79), Nancy (Chester ’82) McCranie and John Chester (’86); and six grandchildren.
1954
Shirley Jean Jones Jividen, 92, of Abilene, Texas, died Jan. 7, 2025. She was born Feb. 27, 1932, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and wed classmate Jimmy Jividen (’51) on June 30, 1951. She enjoyed teaching toddlers in Bible school while Jimmy preached for more than 60 years in Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska and California, including three congregations in Abilene: Hillcrest, Baker Heights and Oldham Lane. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman Jones and Eva Jones; Jimmy, her husband of 63 years; and a brother, Charles Jones. Among survivors are children Steve Jividen (’74), Diane (Jividen ’75) Huff and Debbie (Jividen ’80) McCoy; 10 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
A.M. Burton II, 92, died May 5, 2025. He was born Aug. 22, 1932, in Nashville, Tennessee; and was a member of the 1950 undefeated Wildcat football team. He wed classmate Martha Wise (’54) in 1951, and they moved to Franklin County, Tennessee. Five years later, he began work at Life and Casualty Insurance Company, which was founded by his grandfather and namesake in 1903. He finished his degree at Lipscomb University in 1968, continued studies at Harding Graduate School of Religion and began a long ministry career with churches in Columbia, South Carolina; Germantown, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Nashville. He was preceded in death by his son, Mel Burton. Among survivors are Martha, his wife of 74 years; daughters Becky Daniel and Christy Majors; sons Dr. Andy Burton and Mark Burton; nine grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
1956
Thomas L. Garner, 91, of Lumberton, Texas, died Feb. 18, 2025. He was born Jan. 4, 1934,
in West Helena, Arkansas; attended ACU in 1952-53; served in the Army in Germany; and wed Carole Jo Krebs on Jan. 25, 1958. He finished a B.B.A. in accounting from Lamar Institute of Technology in 1965, and worked in the accounting department for Mobil Oil and Mobil Chemical during his career. He served as an elder for the Lumberton (Texas) Church of Christ and at Westgate Church of Christ in Beaumont, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eleanor Blanche Hazlewood and Tom B Garner. Among survivors are Carole, his wife of 67 years; sons John Philip Garner, Thomas Edward Garner, James Frank Garner and Paul Arthur Garner; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren.
1957
Ina Marian Crowson Lewis, 89, died March 15, 2025. She was born July 1, 1935, in Mobile, Alabama. In 1950, she moved to Cocoa, Florida. She enrolled at Pepperdine University before transferring to ACU, where she earned a B.S.Ed., and a M.Ed. in 1960. She devoted many years as a schoolteacher in New Mexico and Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert Crowson and Ruby Crowson; Dr. Don Lewis (’52), her husband of 39 years and professor emeritus of chemistry; and brothers Bert Crowson Jr. (’59) and Norman Crowson. Among survivors are children Donna (Lewis ’93) Calhoun and Paul Lewis (’95); six grandchildren; and a sister, Anita Crowson Roach (’59)
Beverley Rose Camp Starnes-Pipes, 88, died March 14, 2025. She was born March 26, 1936, in Merkel, Texas, and moved to Boles Children’s Home (now Arms of Hope Boles Campus) at age 12 following her mother’s death. She wed classmate Dr. Ted Starnes (’55) on July 5, 1957. She earned a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. (1975) from ACU, where she taught part time in the Department of Teacher Education for a decade. She also taught at Cisco College for two years. She served 31 years in the Abilene ISD, including sixth grade at Taylor Elementary, where she helped develop a gifted program for the district, and as an assistant principal at several campuses. After Ted died in 2014, she wed Robert “Bob” Pipes on Oct. 22, 2016. She was preceded in death by her parents, Corrie D. Camp and Lillie Rose Simpson Camp; Ted, her husband of 57 years; a son, Thomas Duncan Starnes; a brother, Robert Camp; and sisters Scherrie Tollefson (’63) and Shirley Hairell. Among survivors are Bob, her husband of eight years; a son, Robert Mac Starnes (’88); three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and sisters Lavona (Camp ’60) Truitt and Barbara Davis-Srock (’67)
1959
Pat Thompson Anderson, 87, died March 19, 2025, in McKinney, Texas. She was born Aug. 20, 1937, in Howe, Texas, and earned a B.S.Ed. degree in elementary education. She wed classmate Gary Anderson (’59) on March 21, 1971. She taught elementary school for 25 years in Kermit, Texas; Newfoundland; Germany;
and Anna, Texas. She also volunteered in prison ministry for 11 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Johnnie Thompson and Estelle Thompson; Gary, her husband of 53 years; and brothers Charles Thompson and Jack Thompson. Among survivors are a daughter, Amy Martino; a son, Adam Anderson; three grandchildren; a brother, Bob Thompson (’58); and a sister, Peggy (Thompson ’62) Bell
1961
Dr. John Howard Mervyn Whitfield, 85, died Jan. 19, 2025. He was born Sept. 11, 1939, in North Livingston, Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.A. in mathematics from ACU, an M.A. from Texas Christian University (1962) and a Ph.D. from Case Institute (1966). In 1965, he began a 36-year career at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, where he served as a lecturer (1965-70), professor (1970-86), dean of arts and science (1986-90), vice president for academics (1990-97), interim president (1997-98) and vice president for research and development (1998-2001). He retired in 2001. He served on numerous boards, including hospitals, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, the North West Local Health Integration Network, and as president of the Grandview Hockey Association. He wed Joy Himmelman following the death of Diane in 2015. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mervyn Whitfield and Jean Whitfield; and Diane, his wife of 54 years. Among survivors are Joy, his wife of eight years; children Karen Whitfield, Megan Trudeau, Brian Whitfield and Evan Whitfield; stepchildren Natalie Himmelman and Emma Kennedy; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and several siblings, including Elwood Whitfield (’64) and Lawrence Whitfield.
Kyle Dale Holt , 86, died April 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. He was born Feb. 16, 1939, in Ralls, Texas, and served two years in the National Guard while finishing high school in Carlsbad, New Mexico. After one semester at ACU, he served in the Navy (1958-62) on several aircraft carriers and while stationed in Turkey. He wed Patsy Lee Strout on Oct. 31, 1961, and worked in West Texas oil fields before pursuing a career in missions. He attended Sunset School of Preaching before serving as a missionary in Austria (1970-92) and Romania (1992-96). He worked closely with the public schools in Sibiu, Romania, to teach English using the Bible. The Holts retired in 2006 in Austin, Texas, where he taught several years at the Southwest School of Bible Studies. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marion Francis Holt and Creola Pheobia Sitton Holt, and 12 brothers and sisters. Among survivors are Pat, his wife of 63 years; daughters Deborah Niccum (’15 M.A.), Bonnie Elrod, Laura Dodson and Angela Young; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Annita Hartsell Ritchie, 85, died April 21, 2025, in Abilene, Texas. She was born July 24, 1939, in Vivian, Louisiana; earned a B.S.Ed. degree in speech education; and wed classmate Eris Alton Ritchie Jr. (’57) on July 29, 1960. For most of her adult life, Annita lived in Cisco, Texas, where she worked remotely as
a caseworker for Smithlawn Maternity Home and Adoption Agency, and owned The Lemon Tree dress shop during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991, she earned an M.M.F.T. degree and opened a counseling practice in Cisco. The Ritchies established the Eris A. Ritchie Jr. and Annita Hartsell Ritchie Endowed Scholarship at ACU. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arlis Carmack “A.C.” Hartsell and Juanita Rivers Hartsell; Eris, her husband of 55 years; and a brother, Sherry Hartsell. Among survivors are children Matthew Eris Ritchie (’87), Robin Ritchie Eller (’90), Holly Hart Ritchie (’97) and Michael Christopher Ritchie (’00); 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
1964
Joe Patrick Agnew, 83, of McKinney, Texas, died June 6, 2025. He was born Dec. 29, 1941, in Brownwood, Texas; earned a B.S. degree in marketing; and wed classmate Carolyn Cawley (’65) on July 13, 1963. He was a three-year basketball letterwinner with All-Southland Conference recognition his senior year, and a member of fraternity Sub T-16. He had a long career in the insurance business, beginning as a salesman with American Founders Life lifetime and eventual member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Agnew was an Abilene civic leader, serving as president of the Abilene Boys Club, director of the Key City Kiwanis Club, member of Scouting America’s Order of the Arrow, board member for United Way of Abilene and First State Bank, and a member of the Abilene City Council and ACU Advisory Board. He also served in the Texas Army National Guard. In 1971 he and Carolyn were named ACU’s Outstanding Young Couple and in 1978 he received a Distinguished Alumni Citation. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ray Agnew and Alta (Burrus ’25) Agnew; a sister, Edith (Agnew ’50) Bibb; and brothers Bill Agnew (’55) and Bert Agnew. Among survivors are Carolyn, his wife of 61 years; a son, Joe Agnew (’89); a daughter, Paula Rae (Agnew ’92) D’Spain; and four grandchildren.
1967
Patty Browning (’67), 79, died Jan. 21, 2025, in Lamesa, Texas. She was born July 31, 1945, in Hereford, Texas, a twin to her sister, Phyllis “Tippy” Browning (’67). She attended school in Vega, Texas, enrolled at Lubbock Christian University and earned a B.S.Ed. degree in physical education from ACU. Her first year of teaching was in Newark, Delaware, where she was part of a church-planting team from Abilene Christian. In 1968 she started a 46-year teaching and coaching career alongside Tippy in their hometown. After retirement from coaching, Patty continued to work on the high school and middle school yearbooks, and mentor former players. The Browning sisters’ 937 wins together – one of the best career marks in the nation – included 33 postseason appearances for the Golden Tornadoes, finishing 3A state runner-up in 1998 and winning the 1986 4A state championship. She and Patty have been recognized by the Texas House of
Representatives and the Texas Girls Coaches Association for their accomplishments. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Naveta Browning; and a brother, Bill Browning. Among survivors are sisters Tippy Browning and Sue Thompson, and a brother, Sam Browning.
JoAnn (Carothers) Gauntt , 93, died Jan. 10, 2025. She was born Aug. 14, 1931, in Rochester, Texas; wed Troy Gauntt (’59) on March 1, 1950; and began her college education after her children were born, earning a B.S.Ed. degree in business education and a M.Ed. in 1971, both from ACU, plus certifications in library, counseling, special education and educational diagnostician. She taught for 28 years in Aspermont, Munday and Abilene ISDs as an educational diagnostician, retiring in 2010 but continuing to work part-time in the Abilene ISD. She was preceded in death by Troy, her husband of 66 years; and a son, Troy Gauntt Jr. Among survivors are her daughter, Belinda Hecht; a son, Tony Gauntt; and seven grandchildren.
Sandra (Letz) Parker, 79, of Searcy, Arkansas, died Feb. 21, 2025. She was born Nov. 5, 1945, in Stamford, Texas, and grew up in Haskell and Old Glory before marrying classmate Dr. Mike Parker (’67) in 1965. During the early years of their marriage, Sandra worked multiple jobs to support Mike through his undergraduate and graduate studies. After their daughters were grown, she finished her accounting degree at Stephens College in 1981. In 1989 she began a career as an accountant for a small company that eventually became architectural and engineering firm SAIC. By the time she retired in 2012, she was the 11th longest-serving of more than 44,000 employees. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin Letz and Ruby Hisey Letz. Among survivors are Mike, her husband of 60 years; daughters Caryllee Cheatham and Micalynn Barker; five grandchildren; a sister, Marlene (Letz ’66) Denton; and a brother, Fred Letz (’74)
1968
J.P. Potter Jr., 76, died Nov. 17, 2017, in Round Rock, Texas. He was born Sept. 30, 1941; and earned an A.A. degree in 1964 from Southwestern Christian College and a B.S. in Bible from ACU. He was an evangelist at Churches of Christ in Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana and Louisiana. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jasper Potter Sr. and Era Potter; and a brother, James Potter. Among survivors were his wife, Patricia Potter; children Michele Price, Michael Potter, Carl Potter and Andrea Mang; several grandchildren; and siblings Juanita Owens and Robert Potter.
1969
Michael James “Mike” Hayes, 81, died Feb. 20, 2025, in Brownwood, Texas. He was born Sept. 15, 1943, in San Angelo and grew up in Coleman. He attended Lubbock Christian University on a track scholarship before transferring to ACU. He had a long career in the freight industry before starting a more than
25-year career as minister at Lake Brownwood Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jimmie Hayes and Colleen Hayes, and a granddaughter. Among survivors are Becky, his wife of 60 years; daughters Mary Colleen “M.C.” (Hayes ’91) Jennings and Cherrie McKillip; six grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and siblings Phillip Hayes, Cheryl Turney, Cebia Martin and Jenny Martin.
1970
Andrea Kay (Jones) Jolly, 77, died June 10, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. She was born in 1948 in Vernon, Texas; earned a B.S.Ed. degree in history; and wed classmate Randy Jolly (’71) on March 30, 1969. She devoted most of her career to raising their two children and then serving as an administrative assistant at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nolan Jones and Dorothy Jones; and a brother, Nolan Lewis Jones Jr (’72) Among survivors are Randy, her husband of 56 years; children Erin (Jolly ’96) Sisson and Mac Jolly (’00); four grandchildren; and a sister, Tammy (Jones ’80) Burroughs
1972
Suzanne (McCrary) Carter, 73, of Abilene, Texas, died Feb. 22, 2025. She was born Feb. 27, 1951, in Vallejo, California; earned a B.S.H. degree in vocational home economics education; and wed classmate David L. Carter (’72) on Aug. 20, 1971. She worked alongside David for 25 years in his accounting and asset management firms, and was a longtime Bible school teacher at Hillcrest Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wendell McCrary and Ima McCrary; a sister, Audrey Faye McCrary Park; and a brother, Calvin McCrary. Among survivors are David, her husband of 53 years; and a sister, Diana McCrary Gardner.
1973
John Lee Gilbert , 74, of Rucker, Texas, died June 5, 2025. He was born March 22, 1951, in Gorman, Texas; and wed Tresa Duran in 1972. He attended ACU before graduating in 1974 from The University of Texas at Austin, completing an anesthesia residency in Wichita Falls in 1977 and becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. After two years in Wichita Falls, he returned in 1979 to the De Leon, Texas, area, where he served rural hospitals until his retirement in 2018. A longtime Bible school teacher and deacon, he also was an accomplished rancher and cattleman on land his family owned in Eastland County for more than a century. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack Floyd Gilbert and Lucille (Underwood ’30) Gilbert; a sister, Floydene Gilbert (’58); and a brother, Jack Neal Gilbert. Among survivors are Tresa, his wife of 53 years; a daughter, Amber Gilbert Bunton (’99); a son, Jonathan Gilbert; two grandchildren; and a sister, Carolyn Gilbert (’65).
1974
Odel Crawford, 72, of Odessa, Texas, died Jan. 15, 2025. He was born
April 23, 1952, in Brownwood, Texas; earned a B.S. degree in business; wed classmate Catherine Godwin (’73); and worked more than 25 years in management with the Texas (Employment) Workforce Commission. He was a trustee of several organizations: Black Chamber of Commerce-Permian President (past president and CEO), Texas Association of African-American Chambers of Commerce (founding member and vice chair), West Texas Adult Literacy Council (founding member and past president), International Association of Personnel in Employment Security (past president for the Midland region), Odessa Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Odessa Chamber of Commerce, Woodson Advisory Board, Odessa Enterprise Zone Committee, Odessa Project Business Development Board, Private Industrial Council, United Way Child Care Allocation Panel, Odessa Task Force Project Plus, 20/20 Fore Sight, and the Ector County Lions Den. Crawford received the Odessa Black Chamber of Commerce’s Ebony Bar Award (1986), the Dean K. Phillips Award from the National Veterans Training Institute (1988); and the Presidential Award from the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Permian Basin (2023). He sang with the Gospel Train, a Christian a cappella group, helped plant the Carver Heights Church of Christ, and was a popular motivational speaker. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Alfred Williams and Jewel Crawford Danner; and a daughter, Staci Crawford. Among survivors are Catherine Crawford, his wife of 54 years; daughters Vanessa Crawford, Ashanti Crawford and Pharren Crawford (’08); and siblings Vicki Crawford-Bias, Robert Crawford, Tammie Johnson, Mark Crawford, Falina “Doll” Thomas, Antonio Dancer, Teresa Williams, LaVarene “Chelle” Williams and Janet Williams Chappelle.
1976
Raymond “Ray” Donald Christopher, 77, died Jan. 5, 2025. He was born July 25, 1947, and grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he wed Mary Ann Taylor on Dec. 23, 1967. They moved in 1973 to Abilene, Texas, where he earned a B.S. degree in missions and became the minister at North 10th and Treadaway Church of Christ. Over the following years, his ministry led him to serve congregations in Dallas and Mansfield, Texas; and Toledo and Bowling Green, Ohio. In 1987 at age 40, he began work at the Dallas Fire Department. While serving as an elder at Greenville Avenue Church of Christ in Dallas, he and Mary co-founded Humanitarian Hands Charities (2006), and Charles became the congregation’s full-time international missions coordinator. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Christopher and Narvelle Christopher, and sisters Pamela Nickerson and Cynthia Christopher. Among survivors are Mary, his wife of 57 years; children Laticia (Christopher ’92) Seay, Damar Christopher, Camille Wilson, Jason Christopher and Wade Lee; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and siblings Sandra Christopher, Paula Kelly and Raelene Williams.
Ann Shirley Boring Jones, 87, died Oct. 7, 2024, in Abilene, Texas. She was born Aug. 11, 1937, in Pearsall, Texas, and wed Donald Bullock Boring in 1955. They worked with schools and churches in Oregon, Texas and Colorado, often helping small congregations conduct summer Vacation Bible Schools, and special music camps and schools. Following Don’s death in 1972, she and their children moved to Abilene, where she enrolled as a full-time 36-year-old freshman at ACU and earned two degrees in three years: a B.S.Ed. in elementary education with additional certification in Spanish and early childhood, and an M.Ed. in school administration. She served Abilene ISD as an associate principal at Abilene High School, a principal at Jones Elementary School, a central office administrator and assistant personnel administrator. She was also a frequent adjunct teacher in ACU’s Department of Teacher Education before retiring in 2001. She wed David R. Jones (’59) in 1985. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mark and Adelle Williams Shirley; Don, her husband of 17 years; a sister, Latrelle Shirley Kruse; and one granddaughter. Among survivors are David, her husband of 39 years; a son, Todd Boring (’86); a daughter, DeAnne Boring (’83); seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a sister, Myrna Pond (’64).
1978
Edgar McMillan Jr., 76, died March 6, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. He was born Dec. 17, 1948, in Dallas, and earned an A.A. degree in criminal justice. In 1971 he began a 37-year career in the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, and retired in 2008 as chief deputy. He was the first person employed by a civilian hiring board for the Sheriff’s Department, the first Black to earn the rank of sergeant, lieutenant and captain by way of competitive exam with Dallas County, and the first Black in Dallas to receive a Patrol Officer of the Year Award. He oversaw the General Services Bureau, and created the department’s Emergency Response Program and coordinated its work with Homeland Security. McMillan also received numerous awards for his altruistic service to Dallas County. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar McMillan Sr. and Edwina LaEunice Flowers-McMillan; a brother, Michael McMillan; and a sister, Amelia McMillan McFarland. Among survivors are former wife Candace McMillan; daughters Phillipa M. Williams, Detra L. Allen, India R. Bell, Donya M. McMillan-Chapman, Renae McMillan-Spencer, and Darion E. McMillan; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; a brother, Manuel McMillan Sr.
1979
Bennie Ruth George Mouser, 87, died April 18, 2025. She was born Sept. 27, 1937, and wed classmate Bob Mouser (’59). She earned a B.S.Ed. degree in elementary education and taught 38 years in the Abilene ISD, all but one year at Dyess Elementary School. She was preceded in death by her parents, Spencer George and Ethel Cadenhead George, and a
son, Don Mouser. Among survivors are a son, Daryll Mouser (’84), and one grandson.
1981
Mickey Lee, 68, of Pampa, Texas, died Dec. 17, 2023. He was born Feb. 6, 1955, in Hugoton, Kansas, and earned B.B.A. and M.Ed. (1987) degrees from ACU. He was a computer instructor at Texas State Technical Institute in Sweetwater, Texas, for five years before moving to Redman, Washington, to work in the marketing division of Microsoft for 10 years. A talented musician, he performed in the Microsoft Microtones Choir, the Rearrangers quartet and the Dickens Carolers Choir, and served as a song leader at church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lacy Lee and Belle Lee; a sister, Jenny Welch; and a brother, Andy Lee. Among survivors are a daughter, Shanna Young; a son, Cameron Lee; a sister, Linda Carlton; brothers, Doug Lee (’87) and Robin Lee (’83); and four grandchildren.
1982
Charles “Buzzy” Tigrett Wicker, 65, died March 1, 2025, in Murray, Kentucky. He was born April 3, 1959 in Union City, Tennessee, and earned a B.A. degree in radio and TV. He spent most of his adult life in Dallas, Texas, working in mass communication, returning later to his hometown to live near his sister. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Wicker and Donna Wicker; and a daughter, Sarah. Among survivors are a daughter, Lily Wicker; and a sister, Joni Lancaster.
1983
Lana (Hall) Shelton, 64, of Colleyville, Texas, died Feb. 25, 2025. She was born Dec. 28, 1960, in Jasper, Texas, where she won the Miss Jasper pageant and competed in the Miss Texas pageant in 1981. She studied toward a degree in marketing, was a member of GATA sorority, played the female lead in the 1981 Homecoming musical, South Pacific; and co-hosted 1983 Sing Song. She wed classmate Keith Shelton (’83) on Aug. 20, 1983. She served on the praise team at The Hills Church in North Richland Hills, Texas, and she and Keith traveled internationally to support missions efforts. She was preceded in death by her parents, Don Hall (’51) and Joann (Taylor ’51) Hall. Among survivors are Keith, her husband of 41 years; children Savannah (Shelton ’11) McCully, Sam Shelton (’13), Sunny (Shelton ’17) Simmons and Scott Shelton; six grandchildren; and sisters Lee Ann (Hall ’77) Douglas and Laurie (Hall ’79) Havard
2002
William Everett Heyen, 24, died April 27, 2025, in his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas. He was born May 22, 2000, and studied art and graphic design at ACU, where he played cello in the orchestra; was a member of Nu Kappa Psi, studied abroad in Leipzig, Germany; served as a Leadership Camps counselor, and taught fourthgraders in the Abilene ISD Young Audiences after-school fine arts program. After May 2022
Larry Henderson (’73) – wearing a yellow jumpsuit – skydives in formation at Skydive Spaceland Dallas, in Whitewright, Texas. He was featured in “Skydiving Over Sixty: A Leap of Faith,” a documentary broadcast last fall by PBS and ABC about a group jump attempting to set a world record. Henderson is a faculty member of ACU’s Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry, and director of the WorldWide Witness program. See story on Page 48.
Commencement, William lived for two years with cousins in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, while working as a freelance artist with commissions including illustrations, portraits, environmental graphics, logos and branding. He also inspired new musicians in Manhattan while teaching guitar, piano, vocals and percussion at Real Brave Music School. He moved in 2024 to Estes Park, Colorado, to work in culinary arts as an assistant chef at Rocky Ridge Music Center. He is the namesake of ACU’s William Everett Heyen Endowed Scholarship for Art and Design. Among survivors are his parents, Don Heyen, D.D.S. (’90), and Wynn (Bradley ’92) Heyen; and a sister, Abigail (Heyen ’19) Browning
2020
Carson James Zabel, 27, died June 1, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. He was born Oct. 16, 1997, in Midland, Texas, and earned a B.S. degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. In 2022, he earned an M.S. degree in biotechnology from Texas Tech University’s Health Science Center. He was employed as a medical researcher at The University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio, where he focused on Alzheimer’s research. Three of his articles have been published during graduate studies, including in the Journal of Neuroscience. Among survivors are his parents, Dr. Andrea Collins Zabel and John Edward
Zabel; a brother, Collin Zabel; and a sister, Dr. Brooklyn Vasquez.
2025
Jenna Leigh Jones, 21, an ACU student from McKinney, Texas, died Jan. 26, 2024. She was born Aug. 29, 2023, and attended Haverford (Pennsylvania) College before transferring to ACU her freshman year. She was a senior studying toward a B.S. degree in actuarial mathematics, with a minor in business. Jones was involved in the Honors College, ACU for Life and University Chorale, and a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council for the Onstead College of Science and Engineering. She is the namesake of the Jenna Jones Memorial Math Scholarship. Among survivors are her parents, Kevin Jones and Kristin Jones.
2027
Chalet Nicole Brown, 43, died April 25, 2025. She was born Dec. 23, 1981, and was enrolled in ACU’s Ed.D. program in organizational leadership. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Dillard University and a M.Ed. degree in educational administration and supervision from Texas Woman’s University, and was a founding member of the Omega Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She previously was an attendance administrator in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch (Texas) ISD.
OTHER FRIENDS
Georgia Nelson, 96, died Dec. 16, 2024, in Trophy Club, Texas. She was born Feb. 23, 1928, in St. Joseph, Illinois, and married Ralph Nelson on June 6, 1946. Georgia worked 10 years as a computer operator at ACU. For many years, she and Ralph hosted ACU students, grandchildren and other friends for Sunday lunch. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph. She is survived by daughter Lora (Nelson ’74) McGinn, sons James Nelson (’71) and Jeff Nelson (’79), seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Nola “Bitsy” Broadfoot Berryman, 86, died March 20, 2025, in Tyler, Texas. She was born May 12, 1938, in Clyde, Texas, and wed Dr. Wayne Berryman (’60) on Aug. 23, 1958. She taught children’s Bible classes for years. The Berrymans were longtime major benefactors of the A.A. and Effie Berryman Endowed Scholarship at ACU, where Wayne was a member of the Board of Visitors (1983-88) and Board of Development (1978-86). She was preceded in death by her parents, James Broadfoot and Nan Broadfoot; her husband, Wayne; a sister, Beth Barr; a daughter, Belinda Diane (Berryman ’82) Smith; and a grandson. Among survivors are her son, Michael Wayne Berryman (’83); three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Second GLANCE
BY RON HADFIELD
Documentary chronicles Henderson’s jump into another world record
The Hendersons have been happily married for 52 years, even on days when Pam (Paine ’74) becomes exasperated and pretty much suggests Larry (’73) leave and go take a flying leap.
“You need to go jump this weekend,” she says. “You are getting cranky and hard to live with.”
And so he has, happily, thousands of times thus far as a multiple world-record skydiver who leads a more-adventurous-than-most-of-us life.
Back on earth, the friendly longtime member of ACU’s Bible, missions and ministry faculty and director of the WorldWide Witness program is a terrific teacher, influential evangelist and experienced church planter, in addition to his responsibilities as husband, dad and grandfather.
In the sky, 73-year-old Larry is a flying marvel. He is tall and lean, and wears an extra 20 pounds of lead around the waist of his tight-fitting bumblebee yellow jumpsuit – both designed to increase his freefall speed in a sport where seconds and intentional mid-air positioning matter.
missionaries in his native Thailand. Living in Bangkok, he assisted a government-sponsored foundation that dropped skydivers from military planes into remote locations, where they helped build 220 schools and halt the spread of Communism. That’s a pressure-packed way to learn.
No threat from unfriendly gunfire below was present in 2023, when award-winning director Robert A. Compton and his fearless crew shot a breathtaking documentary about Larry and more than 100 of his friends in their attempt to set a world record large-format, free-fall group jump. The defining caveats: be at least 60 years old with proven competitive group jump experience.
“Heavier people will wear baggy jumpsuits and other aids to help slow their fall rate,” he said of the competitive large-group formations he particularly enjoys leading. “Body position – diving like an arrow or getting big like a kite – will help you to fall fast or slow, but once you are in formation during a group jump, you need the right equipment to stay there.”
Unlike her husband, Pam does not like small airplanes, roller coasters or the thought of skydiving.
“She is, however, very knowledgeable of the sport and is often hired to work on the ground for record attempts and large events,” Larry said. “She does want me to be safe and appreciates a call whenever I am done skydiving for the day.” He has jumped as many as 40 times in a week and 300 in a year, yet has a nearly impeccable safety record, having landed without injury all but one of 7,848 times. Jump No. 7,721 on Aug. 8 of last year ended poorly, leaving him with a broken wrist.
Larry has a pilot’s license but relishes instead a seat next to an open door in the side or rear of a plane. “Once I started jumping out of an aircraft,” he said, “I did not have the same interest in flying one.”
As an ACU college student and son of missionary parents, he couldn’t afford $80 for a First Jump Course at nearby Elmwood Airport. His introduction to the sport came in 1975 while he and Pam began a 25-year run as
The resulting documentary, “Skydiving Over Sixty: A Leap of Faith,” was broadcast by PBS and ABC last fall, and can be viewed online at bit.ly/LarryHenderson. It follows 110 elite senior athletes over four days at Skydive Perris in California. That team, which had logged more than 700,000 international jumps among them, was limited to four attempts per day to link its 400-plus arms and legs in a tight pattern. No spoiler alert here; you’ll just have to watch as the compelling 57-minute film flies by.
Larry is among the five experienced team leaders featured in the storytelling, his yellow jumpsuit making it easy for teammates to locate him in the sky after exiting in groups from the rear of five Skyvan “Flying Shoebox” turboprop planes humming along in tight formation.
By the time you read this, he will have leapt into airspace over 13 nations on four of the seven continents. Abilene can be a too-windy place to skydive, but during a home football game in 2019, the ACU community was treated to an up-close look at him helping deliver the game ball by air, landing on Wildcat Stadium’s Anthony Field.
He said his classes about missions frequently include skydiving object lessons: “Resilience (the ability to bounce back from a bad jump or bad decision in life), focus (pay attention to what you are doing), and consequences.”
Why do people his age continue to jump?
“I’m not ready to give it up,” he said. “My faith impacts every part of my life, including my skydiving. I read my Bible every morning, I pray with my skydiving friends. I’m very grateful for these opportunities.”
Once healed from the broken wrist, he was quickly back in the saddle for another short flight and big leap into the wild blue yonder.
Even when that means jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.
Cultivating Generosity THROUGH SMART GIVING
Dr. Dave (’72) and Debra (Campbell ’75) Engle know firsthand the lasting influence a wise and generous spirit can make.
The Engles, who met in Abilene as students at ACU, learned from professors who shaped their education and purpose, planting seeds of generosity within their hearts. Those experiences have inspired a lifetime of giving – and 27 years of supporting ACU’s mission.
Today, the Engles live out their dedication through thoughtful, strategic giving. Partnering with ACU’s Office of Gift Planning, they’ve found expert guidance, trustworthy support and tools for giving wisely.
“We started small. What began as a desire to give back has grown into much more,” Dave said. “Through education and sound advice, we can support ACU in meaningful ways.”
Their most recent gift – a charitable gift annuity created through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) –supports their endowment fund, providing scholarships for underrepresented students.
To create or enhance your legacy through gift planning, contact the ACU Office of Gift Planning at 325-674-2508, giftplanning@acu.edu, or acugiftplanning.org.
“One remarkable thing about ACU is its heart to broaden representation in the student community, faculty and leadership,” Debra said. “We love meeting scholarship recipients, hearing their stories and empowering them to stay the course.”
The Engles have journeyed across six states while following God’s call on their lives. They’re now settled near family in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Dave is Regents Professor Emeritus of natural resource ecology and management at Oklahoma State University, and Debra has served as a consultant with the OSU Foundation. Both are members of ACU’s University Council. Their combined career and life experiences are reflected in their desire to help others.
“The generosity of smart giving isn’t always talked about,” Debra said. “We hope more people will ask how to give in ways that honor God and support ACU’s Kingdom work.”
Whether you want to establish a scholarship, plan a legacy gift or explore taxwise strategies like QCDs, ACU’s Office of Gift Planning offers tools and expertise to further your generosity.
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COMING UP
Wildcat Visits See acu.edu/visit for available dates
Football at TCU Sept. 13
Family Weekend September 19-20 Summit October 8-10
Homecoming .............................................................. October 30 - November 2
JMC Gutenberg Celebration
30 Morlan Medal Award Announcement and Reception October 31
Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and Lettermen’s Reunion October 31
70th Annual Sing Song March 27-28, 2026 Alumni Day Luncheon ........................................................................... March 29 Class of 1976 Golden Anniversary Reunion April 22-24 ACU Gives April 28-29 May Commencement May 8-9
Standing Tall
One of ACU’s more than 800 May graduates, Heidi Wachtel received her Bachelor of Science degree in social work, culminating a four-year experience that looked a little different than her fellow students. The former Division I athlete and firefighter had an accident in 2020 that resulted in paralysis of both arms and both legs. For the last four years, she has worked daily to regain basic abilities, and through that process, she found an opportunity to surrender control to God. Wachtel is now able to sit and stand independently for several seconds, do pull-ups, bench 90-95 pounds, and use her hands for many tasks, such as writing and eating. Most importantly, she says, is that even as she works hard every day to recover, she is committed to praising God if she walks again and still praising him if she doesn’t. Instead of looking back and asking “Why?” she chooses to look forward, asking “What’s next?” The answer for now is pursuing graduate education at ACU in preparation for helping other athletes who have experienced debilitating injuries, through her nonprofit Greater Than Three Outreach.