ENMU MaxPAC: It Runs in the Family

Wallace Maxwell’s Granddaughter Begins Work at the MaxPAC

By Chelsé Craig

Camille Bowens always knew she was going to come to ENMU. To the recently admitted freshman, the University means more than just a quality education; it has a family history.

“ENMU is a school that I feel welcome at. I feel like I’m more than just another student,” she said. Much of Camille’s family has attended Eastern, including her grandfather, Greyhound legend Wallace Maxwell (MS 92, BUS 81).

Freshman Camille Bowens recently started working at the ENMU MaxPAC named after her grandfather, former Intramurals Director Wallace Maxwell.

With a full-ride, voice and music scholarship, Wallace walked onto the ENMU campus in 1971. Within his first semester he met another student, Barbara Maxwell (MSE 04), who would later become his wife. Their story does not end there as, to prevent being drafted, Wallace enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War. The Maxwells traveled the world with the army and began to raise a family along the way.

Eventually, Wallace took a temporary reprieve from the military to earn his degree in sports administration before returning to the Army as an officer. After his service, he developed a passion for athletics and became the ENMU director of Intramurals and Recreation, and he made it a priority to establish an area where all students could achieve their fitness goals. That center was dedicated in Wallace’s honor shortly after his death in 1998, and it is now named the Wallace Maxwell Physical Activity Center, commonly known as the MaxPAC.

Wallace Maxwell

Today, Wallace’s granddaughter Camille works as a student employee at the MaxPAC. “I feel honored and privileged to be working in the gym dedicated to my grandfather,” said Camille. “I sought out the job because I wanted to feel a connection to him since he passed before I was born.”

While Camille doesn’t share her grandfather’s passion for athletics, she does share his heart. She wants to connect with and help others, so she came to Eastern with an academic scholarship to earn her undergraduate degree in Elementary/Special Education. “I have always wanted to be a teacher, and having a sister with special needs has also given me a passion for wanting to teach special education.”

The Maxwell family name at ENMU also continued with Wallace’s children Kymberly Maxwell (BBA 07), Jeff Maxwell (attended) and Shannon Maxwell Greer (BS 01). Along with Camille, two more of Wallace’s granddaughters continue the legacy today. Brea Bowens (AA 15) recently graduated, sophomore Kayla Nicole Maxwell is an ENMU cheerleader.