The Messenger Fall 2016

FALL2016

THE MCMURRY UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

BOTH SIDES G N OF I SEE ATIONAL ISSUE N A

RA QU

’ EL OLIVER

94

FROMTHEPRESIDENT

Alumni and Friends,

M

cMurry’s Momentum continues as we celebrated our progress toward the $10 million campaign to endow the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business at the Fall convocation. The University has already reached ninety-six percent of the goal with 100 percent participation from the Board of Trustees. At the event, featured speaker Dr. Paul Mason, the new dean of the School of Business, encouraged the students to take advantage of the opportunities that McMurry offers and encouraged faculty and staff o “manufacture those fortunate breaks” students need to succeed.

The Dr. W. Norton Jones Endowed Professorship in Chemistry, the fi st endowed professorship in the sciences, has raised more than $260,000 toward its $250,000 goal. The W. Norton Jones Endowed Professorship will support highly competitive faculty scholarship to advance their academic discipline while improving teaching and learning outcomes for student success.

We successfully initiated our fi st completely online business degree classes in October under the leadership of Dr. Alicia Wyatt, business faculty, and many others.

The American Council on Education (ACE) comprehensive internationalization process will continue through the 2016-2017 academic year. Th s initiative emerged during conversations with Dr. Barbara Hill, Senior Associate for Internationalization at ACE. The conversations emphasized the need to provide international education and global competency to all McMurry students, both for those who cannot afford to travel as well as those who are fortunate enough to study abroad.

As we enter the 2016-2017 academic year, we will continue the implementation phase of Foundations of Excellence. Two key positions have been created

to support all fi st-year efforts at McMurry.

Dr. Cindy Martin was named as the Director of the First Year Experience. She will oversee academic components of the fi styear experience, including the new fi st-year seminar and fi st-year advising efforts. Megan Baldree was named the Assistant Dean of Students for the First Year.

Athletics is renovating their weight room facility and have installed a new state-of-the-art Hall of Honor touchscreen display in the lobby of Hunt PE Center, and have purchased a pair of Ford Transit vans in recent months. A new state of the art videoboard has been installed at the Wilford Moore Stadium, as well as a new LED scorer’s table for Kimbrell Arena. All of these projects will give the McMurry War Hawks a recruiting edge. They are all made possible because we are fortunate to have tremendous support for McMurry Athletics and The War Hawks Club.

I’ve had many people tell me how beautiful the campus looks and how welcoming and friendly the faculty and staff re as we’ve hosted new student orientation, 2016 Homecoming and our other campus guests. If you haven’t had a chance to visit McMurry lately, I urge you to do so and to let me or the alumni office now so we can show you around and introduce you to our wonderful students. You have my promise you’ll not be disappointed!

SANDRA S. HARPER, PH.D. PRESIDENT

FALL2016 A PUBLICATION OF MCMURRY UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT

Dr. Sandra S. Harper VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS/ DEAN OF THE FACULTY

Dr. James Hunt VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

David Heringer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

Lisa Williams VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Debra Hulse ’80 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Sam Ferguson UNIVERSITY CHAPLAIN & DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Rev. Jeff Lust ’83 EDITORIAL OFFICE PUBLISHER

Daniel Manson EDITOR

Gary Ellison DESIGNER

Craftsman Printers PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dave Beyer Doug Hodel Matthew Tate CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jorge Ambacher ’20 Dave Beyer Sonja Burger Suzann Couts Gary Ellison Loretta Fulton Katherine Manson 1 McMurry University #938 Abilene, Texas 79697 325-793-4610 mcm.edu marketing@mcm.edu THE MESSENGER is published by McMurry University. ©2016 McMurry University.

The views and opinions presented in this publication are not necessarily those of the editors or the official policies of the University.

TO UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS: 325-793-4750 fidler.edie@mcm.edu

inthisissue

6 8

Jimmy Nunn ’79 Elected Bishop

Seeing Both Sides of a National Issue

The McMurry Chanters perform during Homecoming at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

DEPARTMENTS 2 Around Campus 22 Alumni and Friends Corner 24 Class Notes 27 Athletics 28 Friends We’ll Miss

Raquel Oliver ’94

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Innovation for the Future: The Freshman Seminar

14 18

Homecoming

SOCIAL.MCM.EDU

A New Approach for Welcoming Freshman

Celebrating a McMurry Tradition

The Show Must Go On Theatre Alumni Take to the Stage

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 1

AROUNDCAMPUS

Zon Technology comes to the Library!

Trustee Sara Graham Receives First John Wesley Award In recognition of her many years of service to McMurry University, alumna Sara Graham ’63 has been selected to receive the first ever John Wesley Award for exemplary service and giving to her alma mater. She received the award at the annual President’s Appreciation Reception on Thursday, April 14, in the Furr Welcome Center hosted by Dr. Sandra Harper.

Thanks to McMurry Fund donors like Bill Libby and idea man Sam Corbett of the McMurry maintenance department, the Jay-Rollins Library is sporting four new umbrellas with a twist. Developed

by Zon Technology, the umbrellas have solar powered USB hubs built into the support polls giving students the benefit of an additional study area.

Each umbrella supports three USB devices. Intelligent USB charging ports sense when a device is fully charged.

The LED display indicates power stored and available.

Civil Rights Tour A group of four McMurry students experienced history first hand during a Civil Rights tour this summer as part of a sociology course led by professors Dr. Robert Wallace and Dr. Jori Sechrist ’01.

Cole Baggett ’17, Malique Cage ’16, Raven Jackson ’19 and Brett Banks ’19 toured the grounds of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, the site of a violent protest against nine African-American students who attempted to enroll in September 1957 and the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Rev. Martin Luther King preached.

They also traveled to Anniston, Ala., east of Birmingham, the site of a violent attack in 1961 on a group of Freedom Riders crossing the state in a Greyhound bus; and the National Civil Rights Museum, which is built around the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

The impact of actually seeing historical sites is the reason for travel courses and that is what sociology professors Sechrist and Wallace had in mind when they offered a “Collective Conscience” course.

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

AROUNDCAMPUS

Fall Convocation Celebrates New School of Business Track Coach Barbara Crousen Inducted Into Hall of Fame Former track and field coach Barbara Crousen will add a new recognition to her already-impressive cadre of honors as the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame selected Crousen for induction with its eighth class of honorees this coming January.

Crousen led the War Hawks’ men’s team to the 2012 NCAA III Outdoor National Championship, the second in school history and both under her guidance. She was the first coach in McMurry history - since it began intercollegiate athletics competition in 1923 - to lead a team to a national championship, after also guiding McMurry’s men to the NCAA III Outdoor National Championship in 2008.

McMurry University’s Opening Convocation featured a celebration of the progress made toward the $10 million campaign for the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business. Immediately following the convocation, a student rally was held to celebrate and bring awareness. The rally on the quad included music, games, prizes and food provided by alumni food truck owners from Stillwater Barbeque and Rock’n Roller’z as well as Pioneer food service. The Convocation address was given by our new Dean of the business school and Professor of Economics, Dr. Paul Mason.

India Trip

Members of the team were Grace Abbott ‘17, Brett Banks ‘19, Nichole Lehman ‘17, Rachel Parr ‘18, Carly Payne ‘15, Jack Payne ‘17, Tereza Sliter ‘16, Rebecca Williams ‘16, and Dr. Mark Waters.

A McMurry mission team traveled to India on June 27. The team had several priorities this year in and near New Delhi. They worked on a Habitat for Humanity project in an impoverished neighborhood, learned about the community renewal and public health ministry of St. Stephen’s Hospital, met students from St. Stephen’s College, learned about the rich religious diversity of India, and visited historic sites such as the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, the Taj Mahal and the Lotus Temple.

Haiti Trip McMurry’s Haiti mission team spent a week working in the in the impoverished nation this summer. They arrived in Port au Prince the afternoon of May 15. From Monday through Friday, they were divided into three teams. One team stayed on site at Partners in Development (PID) to work in the clinic and/or to handle basic administrative tasks. Two teams served as work crews, one located only about two kilometers from PID, and the other about an hour’s drive to Canaan, the site that many of the displaced survivors of the 2010 earthquake were relocated.

On both work sites, the teams, joined by local workers, began the task of digging trenches, moving stones, and pouring concrete (by hand – no machines involved!) for the foundation of a two-room one-family house near PID and a two-family duplex in Canaan.

The team had a short workday on Wednesday so they could go to the national museum in Port au Prince.

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AROUNDCAMPUS

History Professors Excel Beyond the Classroom Our History professors have received accolades from several historical organizations for their expertise and writing skills.

Dr. Stephen L. Hardin contributed the lead chapter in a recently published anthology Texan Identities: Moving beyond Myth, Memory, and Fallacy in Texas History edited by Light Townsend Cummins and Mary L. Scheer and published by UNT Press.

Hardin’s offering is titled “Line in the Sand; Lines on the Soul: The Battle of the Alamo in Myth, Memory, and History.” The volume is currently

available in a hardback edition at Amazon.com and will soon be in bookstores.

Dr. Donald Frazier was awarded the twenty first annual Daniel M. & Marilyn W. Laney Book Prize given by the Austin Civil War Round Table, Inc. The Daniel M. & Marilyn W. Laney Prize is awarded yearly by the Austin Civil War Round Table, Inc. for distinguished scholarship and writing on the military or political history of the Civil War. The winning work is Blood on the Bayou: Vicksburg, Port Hudson, and the Trans-Mississippi, the third volume of a planned four volume history of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi,

For the 21st consecutive year, McMurry received recognition by U.S. News and World Report Best College Guide.

McMurry ranked 13th in the in the Western Region of Best Regional Colleges, climbing four spots from last year. Also, we moved to third in ethnic diversity and fifth in Great Schools, Great Prices.

Finally, McMurry was ranked as one of the best colleges for veterans in its region, coming in at number seven from 13th position last year.

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

published by State House Press. This is Frazier’s second award of the Laney Prize; the first prize was awarded to Frazier in 2010 for the first volume of the Trans-Mississippi quadrille, Fire in the Cane Field.

Dr. Frazier and Dr. Hardin also have been named to the advisory committee for the prestigious Handbook of Texas, the monumental historical encyclopedia of all things related to Texas history and culture published by the Texas State Historical Association. This venerable reference work has been around since 1952, with major updates in 1972 and 1996. The latest print edition has more than 23,000 entries.

Think You Know McMurry History?

McMurry’s official historian Dr. Rob Sledge is back with more historical questions to test your knowledge!

Take the quiz and see how you score. about.mcm.edu/quiz

AROUNDCAMPUS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Why I Teach

Dr. Ann-Marie Lopez ’00 McMurry University holds a special place in my heart. I am now in my eleventh full time year here, and I love being a part of such a unique campus.

What makes McMurry so distinctive, to me, is how much the faculty, staff, and students interact and work together, both in and outside of the classroom through sponsoring student organizations or occasionally singing in our weekly worship service.

I really enjoy working with

students, especially first year students.

Being able to work with students in a small classroom environment is also beneficial. It allows me the opportunity to really get to know and provide them with the individual attention they need. It also allows them to engage in class discussions and share their own ideas. Over the years, my students have taught me just as much as I have probably taught them. Every semester I learn something new from them, whether it be a new way of looking at a text or a lesson in grace and understanding.

They never cease to amaze me with their intuitive comments. I also have countless opportunities to work with students outside of the classroom, and having the ability to work with them in that capacity has been equally rewarding.

My colleagues are another reason I enjoy teaching at McMurry. I am blessed to be able to work with some of the same amazing faculty who taught me as an undergraduate. They have continued to mentor me as a faculty member, as well, in many ways.

I don’t think I would be where I am had it not been for their guidance, wise words, and interminable patience. I can’t think of another institution where faculty from all disciplines work so closely together on various projects and initiatives and actually spend time with each other outside of the institution.

Lastly, I would say the ability to teach material that is technically outside of my area of expertise is something I love about being at McMurry. I’ve taught many classes outside of composition and literature that, at other institutions, I would not be able to teach. My film classes have been very rewarding, and I am able to show students that there are many different types of texts we can analyze that don’t involve the written word.

I am a Compositionist, so I teach writing, but I also teach literature and film courses. What is distinctive about my discipline is that there is no “right” way to write, and that concept is very difficult to teach, particularly when students have been told otherwise for a number of years. Teaching students that there are different expectations for different genres of writing takes time and, often, a lot of patience.

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 5

BY LORETTA FULTON

T

he list of distinguished McMurry University graduates is a long one, and it just got a little longer.

Jimmy Nunn ’79, was already highly thought of and successful in the United Methodist Church before July 15. But on that day, he was elected a bishop in the church and later that night assigned to the Oklahoma Area, which includes the Oklahoma Conference and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. He is the fourth McMurry graduate to become a bishop in the United Methodist Church He couldn’t stop naming former McMurry faculty who helped him get where he is today—Dr. Robert Monk, two late professors, Dr. Joe Stamey and Dr. Gerald McDaniel and his Chanters director, Dr. David Blackburn. He fi ally stopped trying to remember names.

“You could almost put down half the faculty when I was there,” Nunn said.

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THE MESSENGER / FALL

2016

Another person he met at McMurry who continues to have an influence on his life is his wife, Mary Bohannon Nunn ’79. They were married between their junior and senior years and today have two grown children.

After leaving McMurry with a bachelor of arts degree in English and a minor in philosophy and religion, Nunn set out on the path to where he is today. He held several pastorates in United Methodist congregations in the Abilene area and in Lubbock before moving into administration in the Northwest Texas Conference office i Lubbock. Most recently, he was director of mission and administration for the conference.

And now, he’s a bishop.

“I’m not sure it’s soaked in yet,” Nunn said in a telephone interview from his Lubbock office few days after the election, which was held during the United Methodist Church’s South Central Jurisdictional Conference in Wichita, Kansas. The

South Central Jurisdiction includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Once it does soak in, Nunn will realize he has a huge job on his hands. The Oklahoma Conference covers the entire state of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference which includes churches in eastern Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas.

But the big job is one that Nunn is well prepared for. One of his former religion professors, Dr. Monk, who is now retired, recalled what a bright student Nunn was. And, he has followed Nunn’s career.

“He has been consistently successful in whatever he’s done,” Monk said.

Nunn’s election marked a milestone in the history of the United Methodist Church in the United States. According to conference records, Nunn’s election marked the fi st time in at least 50 years that a bishop had been elected from the Northwest Texas Conference.

“It speaks well for Jimmy” Monk said.

Current McMurry Chaplain, the Rev. Jeff Lust ’83, actually had a hand in determining where Nunn would be assigned. Lust entered as a freshman in the fall of 1979, just a few months after Nunn graduated. Since then, the two men’s careers have followed similar paths, with Lust serving primarily in the New Mexico Conference and Nunn in the Northwest Texas Conference. The two conferences share a bishop.

Lust, University chaplain and director of religious life at McMurry since July 2015, was on the Committee on Episcopacy during the jurisdictional conference when Nunn was elected.

The committee is responsible for assigning bishops to conferences.

As a member of the committee, Lust was asked by other members what he thought people liked most about Nunn.

“I responded that I think people are fi st attracted to his genuineness,” Lust said. “He’s just an authentically good guy.”

As they get to know Nunn, they realize how

smart he is, Lust said, and what an effective minister and administrator he is.

“Personally, I am really happy to have been involved in his assignment to Oklahoma,” Lust said. “I believe he will be a great leader for them.”

Nunn is used to travelling long distances as an employee of the Northwest Texas Conference of the UMC, but his new job will require traveling an entire state, with inroads into Texas and Kansas.

But the travel will come later. He has a more important job to start with.

“My fi st thing is to listen to people,” Nunn said.

Nunn’s office s located in Oklahoma City, the state capital, so Nunn will make a point of meeting state offi als as well as church offi als and laity.

The Oklahoma Area of the United Methodist Church includes 595 churches, with an average Sunday attendance of 56,000.

Nunn will have eight district superintendents in the Oklahoma Conference and three in the Indian Missionary Conference to work with. He will have a large staff in h s Oklahoma City offi , consisting of about 40 people. The missionary conference has another four or five on staff.

Nunn is eager to get started meeting his new fl ck. He is especially intrigued with working with United Methodists in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. He sees that opportunity as a continuation of his cross-cultural ministry that dates to his days as a McMurry student.

“I carry those kinds of values,” he said. “It’s part of my McMurry experience.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 7

S

enior Corporal Raquel Oliver ’94 of the Dallas Police Department is someone you want on your beat.

This powerful, level-headed, ex bodybuilding champ and mother of three trains police recruits in defensive tactics by day and transforms bodies in her private fitness studio by night.

When Raquel Oliver arrived at McMurry University in 1989, she was adamant that she did not want to become a physical education teacher, even though she had enrolled for the course. She was interested in kinesiology, business administration, anatomy and physiology, but the University did not offer that specific c mbination of subjects. “Fortunately, because the college was small - like a family - and the teachers very supportive, I was allowed, in a way, to build my own major in kinesiology and to add subjects that interested me,” she explains.

Today, Raquel is a teacher in every sense of the word and she uses the unique skill set she acquired in that made-to-measure McMurry course to benefit everyone who comes into contact with her: inexperienced recruits who arrive wetbehind-the ears at the Dallas Police Academy to

learn about hand-cuffing, self-defense and use of personal weapons; overweight mothers who wish to re-sculpt their bodies and their lives; seasoned athletes and body builders who need a fi m motivator to help them achieve next-level performance.

POWER TO THE RECRUITS From eight to five Raquel works intensively with police recruits. “The recruits spend nine months in training. Amongst other things, I am responsible for fitness training and use of force techniques to effect arrests. When those recruits leave the sheltered environment of the academy after nine months, they must be prepared for the reality of the streets. It is when half-trained recruits are put on the streets after only two to four months of training that you encounter problems.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 9

“Fortunately, because the college was small - like a family - and the teachers very supportive, I was allowed, in a way, to build my own major in kinesiology and to add subjects that interested me...”

10

BLACK LIVES VERSUS BLUE LIVES

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TWO-WAY

Some of those “problems” have been the focus of an intense national debate about race relations and law enforcement for the past few months. Th s debate exploded in Raquel’s personal space when a police involved shooting in Minnesota on July 6, 2016 sparked fatal attacks on five Dallas police offic s the next day.

Raquel was training clients in her training studio while the protest preceding the Dallas shoot-out was taking place. “Everything was peaceful,” she recounts, “but I pointed out to my clients who asked me about the protest and police brutality that it just took one crazy guy to cause a tragedy. My words were barely cold when the texts started rolling in. My phone was blowing up with messages. One officer ad; two offic s dead; five offic s dead. So many offic s wounded. We didn’t know what was going on. People teared up.

My colleagues were being gunned down by a crazy guy who had no connection to any of the victims of the shootings and who had simply decided to shoot random white offic s on sight!”

“We had just accepted a new intake of recruits and I thought: after this the whole class is going to quit. And the next day they were ALL there. It was just amazing!”

Raquel believes that the media fuels the tensions between the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements for fi ancial gain.

To Raquel Oliver all lives matter, irrespective of race. Her own children are interracial, so they have a black family on their mother’s side and a white family on their father’s.

“I can see both sides,” she explains, “I understand why these movements exist. However, the problem of police brutality aimed at black people is not nearly as bad as the media portrays.”

She believes the media creates the perception that these incidents are more common than they really are because they keep focusing on the same incidents and broadcasting the same footage repeatedly.

“People take what the media feeds them, put it in a box and forget about the bigger picture. For example, there are more white police offic s than black, which means that white police have to work in predominantly black areas. When they make arrests or act forcefully, these actions are seen as racist or portrayed as racist, while most police offic s are simply doing their job.”

“As a police woman I am on the other side of the two-way,” she explains, “I don’t care what

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

color you are. I have to take you to jail because you did something wrong. You chose to do it. When I arrest you for making that choice, I am simply doing my job.”

Raquel says selective memories also play a role when it comes to police brutality. Even when police offic s are found innocent of wrongful conduct, communities will keep believing the erroneous stories and speculation they were originally fed and will not adjust their perceptions to accommodate the facts.

The narrative that communities and individuals tell themselves about themselves determines their destiny, Raquel believes.

FULFILLING A LIFE-LONG DREAM Every afternoon at 5 p.m., Raquel transforms her narrative from police officer o power coach, when she enters the elite personal training studio she established in April of this year. The studio is a life-long dream that she has spent ten years planning. “My three kids were my fi st priority. As a single mother I did everything in my power to help them succeed academically and on the sports fi ld. Now that my eldest is working as a teacher and the twins are studying kinesiology, I can focus on my second passion - fitness.”

A black-and-white photo of Raquel on her web site - groomed hair flying, boxing gloves punching at the camera, a crisp, white t-shirt

sassily sporting the words “Don’t talk to me (I’m dieting) - illustrates her training philosophy: If you use all that energy you put into hating your body toward changing it, you would be amazed at the results.

Raquel enjoys working in the fitness industry for reasons that transcend the purely physical. “I love helping people to explore their bodies, their endurance and their power. I love fi ding their ‘why’ and then using it to motivate them when I see they are losing hope or motivation.”

In the training studio, as in life, all lives matter to Raquel Oliver.

Every afternoon at 5 p.m., Raquel transforms her narrative from police officer to power coach, when she enters the elite personal training studio she established in April of this year.

Bryant, Nancy and Gloria McDaniel

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Innovation for the Future: The Freshman Seminar

A NEW APPROACH FOR WELCOMING FRESHMEN

BY JORGE AMBACHER ’20

Imagine looking over your class choices as an incoming freshman and seeing subjects like How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America; Zombie U: College, Identity Construction, and Th Walking Dead; The Bermuda Triangle; or And 1, Or No Foul? For Better or For Worse: How Basketball, Michael Jordan and Nike Changed the World.

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

These are just a few of the choices the 2020 freshman class was able to select from in a new and innovative approach to introducing freshman to college life known as the Freshman Seminar.

The classes, which meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning, are not just for fun, however. They serve a serious purpose.

With the future in mind, McMurry is aiming to not only provide its students with the best preparation for the later years of college life, but also the best preparation and education possible for careers and post McMurry life.

“With the help of many faculty and staff embers at McMurry, we created the Freshman Seminar to best help and improve fi st year experience for students and enable them to use this class as a catalyst in the years to come,” said Dr. Cindy Martin, co-director of the First Year Experience at McMurry.

During Student Orientation and Registration (SOAR), incoming freshman had the opportunity to pick from a variety of topics, enabling them to pick the best fit for them.

With so many subjects to choose from, the incoming class of 2020 was excited to match up with their ideal class, pertaining to their different tastes of music, sports, academics, religion and economics.

“My Freshman Seminar class is How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America and I really enjoy it,” said Lauren Moore ’20. “Being a fan of rock music, I really enjoy learning about the history of rock, all while in the process of helping me develop the [studying] skills I’ll need throughout college.”

Recent informal polling shows students are happy with their freshman seminar and report that they are satisfi d with the topics assigned to them, learning and engaging in an intellectual college setting. Not only are students satisfi d, but the professors teaching these courses are as well.

“As an administrator, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to teach, but when I do, I really enjoy it,” says Dr. James Hunt, vice president of Academic Aff irs at McMurry and current Freshman Seminar Professor of “Waiting for Superman:” Educational Reform in America.

Dr. Hunt has prior teaching experience in the middle and elementary school setting and is

“With the help of many faculty and staff m mbers at McMurry, we created the Freshman Seminar to best help and improve fir t year experience for students...” part of the First Year Experience committee.

“It’s also exciting to work with fi st year students because college is new to them and there’s a lot of learning that goes on in the fi st semester,” concluded Dr. Hunt. “Being a part of that with students and helping them understand that the thinking they will do in college is different than high school.”

According to the pamphlet created by the First Year Experience committee, the program goals for the Freshman Seminar are: the development of a network of relationships that prepares students for academic and personal success emphasizing a life of leadership and service, provide students the opportunity to explore relevant issues that include diverse ideas, provide students time and guidance to refl ct deeply and intentionally about the roles and purposes of their education at McMurry, using intentional refl ction as a method of helping students in their journey to selfauthorship, and an introduction to McMurry University’s history, traditions and Core Values and how it relates to civic engagement and service.

“My hope and McMurry’s hope is to build a culture that students belong to at McMurry,” concluded Dr. Martin, “and while doing so, we will provide them with support, and help them think deeper beyond the surface level by introducing them to new and broader ideas.”

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

2016

We celebrated McMurry’s Homecoming this past October, a tradition dating back to 1928.

Thanks again to all our alumni, families, friends, Abilene community and visitors who attended Homecoming this year.

Each year we celebrate our traditions such as Tipi Village, bon fi e and pep rally, football game, social clubs and class reunions, and other festivities; there is always something for everyone to participate in.

Take a moment to view all the photographs from the year’s Homecoming at mcm-gallery.smugmug. com/Homecoming-/Homecoming-2016

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DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD Dr. Weldon Crowley ’57, of Georgetown, Texas, received the year’s Distinguished Alumnus award for 2016.

Dr. Crowley concluded a distinguished career in education upon his retirement from Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, in 1997, by being named “Professor Emeritus”. Dr. Crowley views teaching as his “ministry.”

As an alumnus of McMurry University, he has constantly sought to further the mission of the institution and improve and facilitate the opportunity for young people to achieve a quality, higher education at McMurry through financial suppo t to the University, alumni fund raising and student recruitment.

He has directly served McMurry University as a member of the Board of Trustees for nine years. As a trustee, he has been involved in all aspects of the work of the Board, including the challenging task as the chair of the search committee leading to Dr. Sandra S. Harper being hired as McMurry’s current president.

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Dr. Crowley graduated from McMurry University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University in 1961 and a Ph.D. in Early-Modern European History from the University of Iowa in 1967. During his time at Drew University he was ordained in the United Methodist Church as an elder and served a church there.

In 1966, Dr. Crowley joined the University of the Pacific (UOP) as a p ofessor of history. In his second year, he was named department chair. Shortly thereafter he was invited to join other UOP faculty in establishing Callison College – a UOP “cluster” college – which would emphasize non-Western studies and include a year of study abroad in an Asian culture (India).

In 1976, Dr. Crowley was invited to join the faculty of Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, where he held the endowed Lucy King Brown Chair in the history department for the next 21 years.

The University conveyed upon him its Outstanding Teacher Award. With the exception of one year, his entire teaching career was with United Methodist institutions.

He is married to Patricia Bennett Crowley ’58. They have two children, Lisa who is married to Elliot and Greg who is married to Holly as well as two grandchildren, Ethan and Ben. Dr. Crowley has no doubt whatsoever that McMurry was a “lifechanger” for him. As he has said many times “McMurry knew me before I knew myself.

SPIRIT OF MCMURRY AWARD Chris Montoya ’00, Senior Vice President and Equity Manager at First Financial Trust and Asset Management Company of Abilene, Texas, has been named the 2016 Spirit of McMurry Award recipient given by the McMurry Alumni Association Board of Directors. The award is presented each year to a graduate from within the last 20 years who has shown excellence in their profession and service to their alma mater and their community.

Montoya joined First Financial Trust in 2001 as an investment analyst. He is now the head of equities and the manager of

the investment department with over $4 billion of assets under management. He created and has served as senior portfolio manager of the Equity Income portfolio, a dividend based investment style with over $600 million under management, since its inception in October 2006. He also oversees the Core and Strategic Growth equity styles.

Montoya is a CFA Charterholder. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth. Earning the CFA charter demonstrates knowledge, skills and experience needed for investment analysis and management in today’s dynamic global markets.

He is a former McMurry University trustee, McMurry University Alumni Association board president and a current School of Business Advisory Board member.

Montoya graduated summa cum laude 2000 with a marketing degree. He is the third McMurry graduate in his family. His sisters, Amy and Isabel, earned their degrees from McMurry in 1991 and 1995. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 10 years and they reside in Abilene with their 5 son named Ethan.

McMURRY UNIVERSITY HOMECOMING OCTOBER 5-7

2017

If you class year-ends in 7 or 2, you will be celebrating a reunion next Homecoming. If you would like to help plan events for your class please contact the alumni office at alumni@mcm.edu

T H E AT R E A LU M N I TA K E TO T H E S TAG E

BY KATHERINE MANSON

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

or many McMurry University graduates, the curtain doesn’t close once they graduate from the University’s Department of Theatre. Many go on to shine as artists in theatres across the country using their experience on the small stage to catapult their careers to the spotlight.

F Kerry Goff ’1

One theatre in particular that has drawn Theatre alumni to take the stage in multiple forms and roles is the Fredericksburg Theater Company (FTC) located in Fredericksburg, Texas.

In their twentieth season, FTC is known to deliver some of the best live entertainment in the Texas Hill Country. With a season consisting of seven productions, numerous educational and youth programs, and special events, the theater has been raising the curtain in Fredericksburg since 1997. All performances are held in the Steve W. Shepherd Theater, an intimate venue that holds 250 patrons.

It’s under the leadership of McMurry graduate and Artistic Director Kerry Goff ’10, hat FTC has continued to grow. Founded by Jeryl Hoover in 1997, FTC has grown to an audience of over 10,000 annually, and “strives to provide superior theatrical programs for regional participation

which entertain, educate, enrich and inspire,” according to the non-profit organization’s mission statement.

Goff riginally became involved with FTC in 2002 as a volunteer, after participating in theatre in high school and in the community. While working part time, he’d use his free time in the evenings to be a part of FTC’s productions as an actor, stage manager, or any way he could. With Goff ’s hopes of becoming a director, Hoover encouraged him to expand his training and education, and it was soon after that a mentor led Goff o enroll in McMurry’s Department of Theatre.

“I ended up taking just about every course in the theatre department,” explained Goff. “I acted in multiple productions at McMurry and gained a good background in scenic and lighting design as well.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 19

he theater works with other McMurry alumni in the area who often direct, frequently hire McMurry graduates as actors, and welcome current McMurry students to intern.

T

Ashleigh Goff ounded the Freddyburg Youth Theater.

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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

It was while Goff w s earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and directing at McMurry that he met his wife, Ashleigh. Goff ad always hoped to return to FTC and when Hoover was looking to retire, Goff umped at the opportunity to fill his shoes. Joining him at FTC, Ashleigh currently serves as the Director of Youth Development and founded the Freddyburg Youth Theater at FTC. FTC produces their own work, building plays and musicals to comprise the season from the ground up. One production a year is always a youth production, led by Ashleigh. Goff di ects two productions a year, designs sets for multiple productions, and the lighting designer for almost all of them. Ashleigh leads the youth musical, multiple educational classes, and theatre events.

The Goffs ren’t the only McMurry connection to FTC however. In fact, they’re far from it. The theater works with other McMurry alumni in the area who often direct, frequently hire McMurry graduates as actors, and welcome current McMurry students to intern.

FTC opened their current season with the summer production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, starring McMurry graduate (and former classmate of the Goffs), ac Tiedemann ’09, as the Beast.

THE FREDERICKSBURG CONNECTION

Trey Spivey ’18 worked on the set of Adladin.

Trey Spivey ’18, is studying at McMurry’s Department of Theatre and this past summer completed a 12-week internship at FTC, where he assisted in the theater’s production of Beauty and the Beast, working on the set construction and light work. Spivey also worked on set construction, mics and sound in the second production of the season, the youth production of Aladdin Jr. “One of the things I really enjoyed was working on the set construction of Aladdin Jr.,” explained Spivey. “We needed a flying carpet and another intern and I sat down, designed it, and built it so it swiveled and moved when it was flying. Th s particular project was unique and new for me because we had to use materials that we currently had and create it from scratch.”

Spivey follows in the footsteps of other McMurry students who have interned at FTC in their undergraduate years, and hopes to continue gathering experience in theatre by joining a master’s program following graduation.

For those in the Hill Country attending a FTC production, you may fi d yourself applauding McMurry alumni both behind-the-scenes and onstage. As current McMurry Department of Theatre students graduate and pursue their dreams, their spotlights don’t fade. After all, the show must go on.

McMurry Theatre’s Fredericksburg Connection goes back many years with friendships between McMurry Theatre Professors Charlie Hukill and Philip Craik and Abilene theatre legend Bob Straus. Straus and Craik were classmates at HardinSimmons.

“I probably met Bob before this, had certainly heard of him in the Abilene Theatre scene, but we really got to know each other during the summer of 1982,” said Hukill. “Philip Craik was the Theatre director at Cisco College and hired us to work for the Roofgarden Theatre, which was a summer theatre that performed on top of the Laguna Hotel in downtown Cisco during the summer months.”

Hukill designed the sets for the summer and the first sh w was Neil Simon’s I Oughta Be in Pictures. “My wife Betty was in it and played Bob’s daughter. We all became fast friends. It’s hard not to become Bob’s friend. He is a very likeable guy,” said Hukill. “A good portion of his early career was in sales and he is very outgoing, not a shy bone in his body, and easy to talk to.”

Over the years, the three worked on a number of other projects at different theatres here in Abilene and supported each other’s work.

Straus went back to school in the 1990s to get a teaching certific te, and, upon graduation, began a teaching career in the public schools, eventually ending up at the high school in Fredericksburg.

“He hired me on occasion to come down and adjudicate UIL one-act play contests he was hosting at his school and eventually began to send students our way,” said Hukill. “When he had students he thought would benefit f om a small school environment, he recommended McMurry, which has resulted in our having some very talented individuals from that community.”

That talent including Bob’s own son, Caleb, who was a fi ture on the McMurry stage for several years.

“Of course, high school students like to go to schools where they already know someone, so that also helped add to our numbers,” said Hukill.

“It’s been a great connection which we hope continues into the future, since some of our grads are now teaching and working in theatre in the area.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 21

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

ALUMNI EVENTS Alumni Association Board of Directors The Alumni Board took a fun photo at its Homecoming meeting!

REFER A STUDENT Do you have friends, family, or neighbors who might be interested in learning more about McMurry? Please fill out the form on the webpage below and a member of our admission staff will be sure to contact them! mcm.edu/refer-a-student

McMurry Spring Alumni Weekend!

Have you ever spent time thinking about how you’d love to come back for Homecoming and visit with classmates, friends and fellow alumni, but just never have the time or freedom of schedule to do so? We’ve got the perfect solution!

Join McMurry alumni in Fredericksburg, Texas on Friday 4/28 and Saturday 4/28 and celebrate a Spring Alumni Weekend!

Weekend events will include an alumni gathering Friday evening, shopping, group tours and an alumni golf tournament on Saturday, and a big alumni dinner on Saturday night!

Hotels have already set aside blocks of rooms for this event so please visit the webpage below for details. Planning is ongoing, so be sure to check this page often as it will be updated. If you have any questions, please call Suzann Couts in the Alumni Relations office at 325-793-4608 or email couts.suzann@mcm.edu.

We hope to see you in Fredericksburg! mcm.edu/spring-alumni-weekend

22

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

Top row: Pug Parris ‘73, Mark Odom ‘82, Martha Dusek Ginn ‘65, Matthew McGlaun ‘12, Hope Pamplin ‘01, Terry Faulkenberry ‘75, JoLisa Hoover ‘92, Steven Bristow ‘96, Lewis White ‘99, Kim Tate ‘07. Bottom row: Cherie Widmayer ‘73, Katy Jetton ‘01, Barbara Whorton-Farley ‘73, Kay Younggren ‘02.

Final Ala Cumba McMurry held the inaugural Final Ala Cumba on November 1, All Saints Day, in memory of alumni, friends, former employees and students who have died. Loved ones came from all over to participate and call “On to Victory” for friends and family. Next year’s event will be Wednesday, November 1.

McMurry ONLINE

McMURRY IS OFFERING A NEW ONLINE BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS The program will provide graduates with a quality education and the realworld skills employers are demanding.

The degree program is convenient, affordable and achievable.

Get more information by visiting online.mcm.edu or contacting the Admission Office at 800-460-2392 or 325-793-4945.

McKenzie Shelfer ’18 is an Early Childhood Education major from Alvarado, Texas. She is a scholarathlete who serves as a student manager for our Phonathon program. As a McMurry Fund scholarship recipient, she knows the importance of gifts rom our alumni and friends.

Will you answer her call and support the McMurry Fund? give.mcm.edu MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 23

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

ClassNotes of IIDA (International Interior Design Association). Emphasis of the firm’s work is in the K- 12 Educational, Higher Education, Government and Commercial markets. Pegge is now retained as a consultant to Hollis + Miller Architects.

Her husband is Jim Breneman, an architect in the Kansas City area.

’01s |

’60s | DON WRIGHT ’61 was honored in March by the Ector County ISD with the naming of the Don Wright Field Event Venue at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas. Don was a member of the track team while at McMurry.

CARLTON VILLERS ’63 and Sally Finch Villers ’65 were honored as McMurry’s 2016 recipients of the Cross and Flame award for the Northwest Texas Conference. The Villers accepted their award the Sunday after Homecoming at Aldersgate UMC in Abilene.

includes a representative from every conference in the church nationwide.

Breeden represents the Northwest Texas Conference. She is a 30-year member of St. James UMC in Abilene and has been active in local and regional church activities for years. Congratulations on your position, Brenda!

’00s | BRENDA BREEDEN ’00 was recently selected to serve a four-year term on the Program Advisory Group of the national United Methodist Women’s organization. The 63-member group

ALANA WILSON JETER ’01, McMurry Director of Annual Giving, enjoys the calm after Homecoming weekend in front of the Gamma Sigma tipi with her children Ben and Zoe – Ala Cumba!

’70s | PEGGE

PRICE BRENEMAN EX ’72, who went on to graduate from Texas Tech University in 1973, recently retired from Hollis + Miller Architects, located in Overland Park, KS and Lee’s Summit, MO (both in the Kansas City Metro Area).

Breneman was hired in 1984 as the first interior designer for the firm, which was established in 1950. Pegge developed and grew the interior’s department over the past 32 years. She is an accredited professional interior designer, associated with NCIDQ and a member

24

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

CAMMIE PETREE ’83 is this year’s recipient of the McMurry Alumni Association’s Heartbeat of Campus staff service award. Coach Petree accepted the award at Homecoming – congratulations, Coach!

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER S TAY C O N N E C T E D

Moved? New Job? Update your information and submit a classnote to let your fellow McMurry alumni know about the milestones in your life—including everything from weddings to births, retirements to awards, adoptions to promotions. We’ll print your update and photos in The Messenger and deliver to over 11,000 of your McMurry friends and family!

’05s |

JENNIFER VODAK JULIAN ’05 and her husband Daniel welcomed their 3rd daughter, Norah, on 8/29/16. Congratulations on your new addition!

’08s | SARAH

DRISKELL ’08 attended Homecoming 2016 with daughter Violet, who is sure to be a Future War Hawk!

’09s | RYAN

DAVIS ’09 accepted the position of Director of Student Life at Santa Fe University of Art and Design in July. Congratulations on the new position, Ryan!

’13s | KENNA CORNELIUS ’13 married Jonathan Rummel this summer.

Several McMurry alumni were present for the event – congratulations Kenna and Jonathan!

MELODY STONE ’13 just returned to the United States after teaching for 2.5 years in Sendai, Japan. She taught English as a Second Language to 4 year olds at MeySen Academy, a private Christian school, and had learned about the opportunity through a connection at McMurry. “God truly had an amazing plan for me in Japan, “Melody explained, “I made a difference in these kids’ lives and they made a tremendous impact in mine! I will forever be a better person because of my experiences in Japan.”

Melody is now back in Texas, teaching third grade in Midland.

’14s | MARCUS

ROMERO ’14 was named the new Taylor County Veterans Services Officer.

Send your note by email to Suzann Couts, Director of Alumni Relations, at couts.suzann@mcm.edu or fill out and mail this orm to The Messenger, 1 McMurry University, #938, Abilene TX 79697.

NAME

MAIDEN NAME (IF APPLICABLE)

EMAIL ADDRESS

STREET ADDRESS

CITY, STATE, ZIP CLASS NOTE:

’15s |

VIVIAN VAN ZANDT-CURTIS ’15 is pictured at her wedding this summer with Delta Beta Epsilon alumnae and former Keymen.

Congratulations Vivian!

(use additional sheet of paper if needed)

The Messenger reserves the right to make the final selection of all photography based /upon available 25 MCMURRY UNIVERSITY mcm.edu space, subject matter and photo quality.

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

Jonathon Kimbrell ’04, graduated from McMurry University with a bachelor of fine arts degree and a drive to become a full-time artist.

With a pop art style inspired by popular 20th Century culture and music, Kimbrell is a painter, screen printer, graphic designer, photographer, and record label owner in Dallas, Texas.

“It’s exciting and scary all at the same time to see how fast time flies and where I’m at today,” Kimbrell said. “What I’ve truly learned since college is that you can’t have expectations in any kind of career, because there are so many different things that will fly at you from all directions. This becomes inspiration and opportunities so you just have to be open and flexible.

Kimbrell says the one-on-one instruction he received in his education at McMurry benefited him in his career and urged him to “take the ball and run with it.”

26

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

Be a chameleon.”

Following graduation, Kimbrell opened his first studio “Napkin Art Studio,” that morphed into what is now “Jonathon Kimbrell Creative” with services including graphic design, logo design, branding, and fine arts. Kimbrell’s work can be found at JonathonKimbrellCreative.com and according to Kimbrell, most everything he does is inspired by his love for music.

It was only fitting that Kimbrell took his rivaling passion for music and his hobby of collecting vinyl to become the founder and co-owner of Classic Waxxx Records, an independent label that produces both new music on vinyl and preserves classics.

Kimbrell’s passion for visual arts and music blossomed while an undergraduate student at McMurry, where he was active in the student radio show, photography, painting, and a contributing scenic designer for the theatre department.

“Charles Hukill from McMurry’s theatre department was the one who really ignited a passion in me to be a painter after graduation,” explained Kimbrell. “He gave me creative freedom and encouragement, and helped me realize what I probably wouldn’t have on my own.

Plus, he’s a music junkie like myself.”

Kimbrell says the one-on-one instruction he received in his education at McMurry benefited him in his career and urged him to “take the ball and run with it.”

“You’re not a name on a roll sheet when you’re at McMurry,” Kimbrell said. “You’re encouraged to ask questions and approach your professors. That McMurry culture of being warm and inviting, I wouldn’t have traded that for the world.”

For the latest McMurry sports information, visit mcmurrysports.com

McMurry to Add Softball in 2017-18 The traditional spring sports season will get a little more exciting for McMurry University faithful starting in spring of 2018, as the school announced on October 19 that the sport of softball would be added to its women’s intercollegiate programs, beginning next school year. The addition of softball will bring to 20 the number of sports sponsored by McMurry Athletics.

“This is another example of McMurry Momentum,” Director of Athletics Sam Ferguson said. “The University is growing in students, in programs, and now also in athletics opportunities.

“Softball is one of the most popular sports in the state of Texas. In fact, nearly 34,000 girls are competing at the high school level. It’s a great fit at McMurry, because we know that there is an abundance of talent right here in our back yard. We are also excited about the type of scholarathlete softball will attract. According to NCAA data, softball players are some of the most academically successful. Finally, the addition of this important program will help us take another step in the right direction from a Title IX standpoint. This addition is long overdue.”

The plan is to hire a head coach

by January 2017 to begin recruiting for the following school year and build a schedule. The War Hawks will initially play their home games at a local city of Abilene facility and, by the third year, build an on-campus field. Beyond that, upgrade projects will include press box facilities, permanent seating and team areas/offices.

“The American Southwest Conference (ASC) congratulates

McMurry University on bringing softball to its intercollegiate athletics program,” said Amy Carlton, ASC commissioner. “The War Hawks addition provides women an avenue to continue academic pursuits while participating in a sport they enjoy within one of the top NCAA Division III softball conferences.”

Softball sponsorship in the ASC will grow to 13 teams and becomes the seventh conference championship sport to be supported at every member institution. Women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, and baseball are ASC sports sponsored by all ASC members. By conference rule and with full member sponsorship of softball,

the ASC Softball Championship Tournament format will shift to eightteam double-elimination with the 2018 tournament.

When it begins play in spring of 2018, game versus McMurry will count toward ASC standings and the War Hawks will be eligible for the regularseason title in addition to individual awards. McMurry will remain ineligible for the conference tournament until it reaches NCAA Division III active member status (expected in 2018-19).

The 2018 season will also celebrate the 20th year of ASC softball and the conference tournament.

In addition to the regular season ASC crown, McMurry softball would be eligible to compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association’s

ATHLETICS

regional and national championships.

Currently, McMurry hold dual affiliation with the NCCAA and NCAA Division III. Softball is one of the most popular high school sports in the state. It is also one of the most popular intercollegiate sports in this region at the Division III level. Further, there are 364,103 girls competing in softball in the United States. Only basketball, track and field, and volleyball have more female participants than softball in Texas.

Currently, McMurry is the only program playing in Division III in the state of Texas that does not offer softball. Between the American Southwest Conference and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference there are 19 of 21 institutions that sponsor softball.

Expanding on softball’s presence in Division III, it is also worth noting that there are only 27 of 443 DIII institutions nation-wide that do not participate in softball. In most cases, climate is the deterring factor.

“It’s exciting to think about building a program from the ground up,” Ferguson said. “Those opportunities do not come often in the life of a university. We are blessed to have tremendous supporters in the form of donors, alumni and University administrators who allow us to dream big and enjoy growth.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 27

FRIENDSWE’LLMISS Paul Graham Longtime McMurry supporter and donor Paul Graham, husband of McMurry board member Sara Graham ’63, passed away on Sunday, September 18, 2016.

The Grahams most recently gave the transformational lead gift in support of the Walter and Virginia Johnson School of Business honoring his long-time friend and past president of First Financial Bank of Abilene.

Paul had a servant’s heart and was an active member of First Christian Church of Abilene for over fifty years, serving as a Deacon and Elder.

He donated the handbells at First Christian Church which were named the Bonnie Belle Handbells in honor of his deceased daughter. He was one of several church members who served Breakfast on Beach Street on the first day of its inception in 1996. He was

Vera Allred McSpadden ‘47 of Snyder TX died June 15, 2016 Porter Brooks ‘48 of Reston, VA died June 13, 2016

Joanne Robinson DickeyCaldwell ‘55 of Denison, TX died April 22, 2016 Roy Cecil Spain ‘58 of Plano, TX died January 26, 2016

departments in the Abilene and Midland areas. Additionally, he established scholarships at Brite Divinity School, Hardin-Simmons University, and McMurry University.

He was a charter member of the Suez Temple in San Angelo, a member of the Abilene Shrine Club, and a Master Mason of Hobah Lodge. Paul was a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner for over seventy years. He was a member of the Brandon Carrell Society of the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. He also supported the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston and Houston.

Survivors include his wife Sara Hudman Graham of 18 years, a daughter Cherrie Preston, a stepson Dr. E. Victor Hudman II (Hollie), a step-daughter Linda Hudman Aldrich (Matt), eleven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Glenda Stemple Conlee of Dallas, TX died April 3, 2016

Nelle Smith Hooks ‘41 died September 10, 2016

James Garrett of Dallas, TX died May 15, 2016

James Houston ‘72 died September 3, 2016

Ruth Giles of Abilene, TX died April 23, 2016

Carol Landis Hughes ‘76 died September 26, 2016

Ellen Williams Wadzeck ‘48 of Fredericksburg, TX died July 10, 2016

Owen Mobley ‘62 of Seymour, TX died July 20, 2016

Vicki Harris died June 16, 2016

Bill King ‘73 died August 19, 2016

Troy Kegans ‘50 of Arlington, TX died July 12, 2016

Ramelle Parsons ‘64 of San Angelo, TX died July 16, 2016

Patrick Kirby died April 3, 2016

Joyce Jacquot Martin ‘70 died July 3, 2016

Rex Mauldin ‘50 of Clyde, TX died July 1, 2016

Clovis Hale ‘65 of Spicewood, TX died July 2, 2016

Paul Bellinger ‘86 died April 20, 2016

Rev. Richard Payne ‘51 of Anson, TX died September 12, 2016

Rosemary Watts ‘65 of Wichita Falls, TX died July 22, 2016

Shirley El-Attrache ‘74 died September 18, 2016

Sabin Hendrickson ‘52 of Lubbock, TX died August 22, 2016

Ricky Gray ‘77 of Abilene, TX died April 26, 2016

William Fleming died April 24, 2016

Ural Nelson Sherrill ‘52 of Arlington, TX died February 21, 2013

Charles Meurer ‘80 of Argyle, TX died August 10, 2016

Helen Holt Gardner ‘48 died September 6, 2016

Betty Budge Baker died April 26, 2016

Paul Graham died September 18, 2016

Mark Bennett of Abilene, TX died May 10, 2016

Tammie Dean Hill ‘05 died October 13, 2016

Buddy Dulin ‘53 of Abilene, TX died April 12, 2016

28

chairman of the building expansion committee for First Christian Church that selected the building site for Brookhollow Christian Church. Then in 2001 he became a founding member of Wylie Christian Church, helping establish and financially supporting that new church start along with his wife Sara. He served as Elder Emeritus.

He was a member of the Fiers-Brown Society of the Christian Church Foundation and supported Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth. He was a member of the Addison & Randolph Clark Society of TCU. In addition to his support of McMurry, Paul supported many charitable organizations with his resources, including the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Meals on Wheels, the Wylie Lions Club, Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat, and various volunteer fire

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2016

Sydney Niblo died June 9, 2016 Jerry Pruitt ‘60 died June 22, 2016 J. Lloyd Rucker ‘53 died June 19, 2016 Nancy Glover Tarpley died July 5, 2016 Barbara Kendall Watson ‘57 died September 6, 2016 Louese Hardaway White ‘48 died April 13, 2016

GIVING TO MCMURRY

a Family Tradition Giving to McMurry is a family tradition for Dr. Ralph ’65 and Pat McCleskey. That generosity has helped the University exceed its goal of $250,000 to endow the Dr. W. Norton Jones Endowed Professorship in Chemistry, which will be the first fully funded endowed professorship at McMurry.

“My family has a long history of support for McMurry which we want to continue to help assure that a quality education in a small Christian university is available to interested students,” said Dr. McCleskey, who also has served on the Science and Math Advisory Board and the Alumni Association Board.

Th ough generous donations from alumni and friends like Dr. McCleskey, the University has currently raised more than $260,000 to fund the professorship.

Income from this endowment will support highly competitive faculty scholarship to advance

their academic discipline while improving teaching and learning outcomes for student success.

“W. Norton Jones and his staff rovided me with the opportunity to achieve an education which was competitive with any of the large universities,” said Dr. McCleskey. “I want to help assure that this high level of education is available at McMurry for generations to come.”

Their history of giving also includes donations to the McMurry Fund, the Arnold Richards/KEA Fund and the funds which created the Sacred Wind statue and the KIVA clock.

Consider Rolling Over Your IRA Today!

By taking a distribution from your IRA this year, you will likely pay more in taxes and may even be in a higher tax bracket. Rolling over part of you IRA’s “required minimum distribution” or RMD to McMurry University can help to reduce your tax bill and while supporting the University.

An IRA Charitable rollover gift can benefit both ou and McMurry’s mission! Contact your IRA Administrator to get started with you gift. While you will not receive an income tax deduction, you will not pay taxes on any distributions made to McMurry. Please inform us of your plans so we use your gift in a way that means the most to you.

Debra Hulse | 325-793-4761 | hulse.debra@mcm.edu

70 1/2 or Older You Can Direct Up to $1000,00

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 29

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