GIVING IN FAITH: JIM & SHARON WALKER
by Erin Edlund
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1
When President John Reynders arrived at Morningside in 1999, the financial, enrollment, and facilities situation the institution was facing was dire to say the least. “It was a bleak time when John inherited the presidency,” said Jim Walker ’70. “My first question to John when he was hired was, what in the world are you thinking?” Reynders would soon develop a response to Jim’s question. He began laying out a vision for Morningside that he believed would reposition it to be one of the best small private colleges in the Midwest. To make it happen, though, Reynders needed someone to believe in what could not yet be seen. He went to Jim and his wife Sharon (Anderson) Walker ’70 and asked them to be among the first to have faith in his vision, with his first step being to forgo building a new science building and instead remodel the existing structure. Jim and Sharon had been planning to make a gift for the new building, but Reynders’ new plan was meant to hasten progress on his vision and start making an immediate difference for students. “We really talked over that initial gift,” Sharon recalled. “The college was on the brink, and we really weren’t sure it
would be a good investment. And, it was ironic because the science center was the first project, but science was not a strong subject for either of us.” After prayerful consideration, the Walkers decided to take a leap of faith. They told Reynders they would redirect their gift for the remodel. While they hadn’t intended to have the science building named after them, Reynders encouraged them to accept the naming rights to help others see that Morningside was an investment worth making. Thus, the Walker Science Center was born, and the Walkers’ decision to believe in Morningside and John Reynders’ vision would serve as the spark that would begin a dramatic, two-decade transformation.
A MORNINGSIDE EXPERIENCE ROOTED IN LOVE High school sweethearts in the 1960s, it was Sharon who first set her sights on Morningside. Sharon knew she was interested in becoming an educator and had been impressed by Morningside’s academic reputation and its ties to the Methodist Church. She applied and received a presidential scholarship. Once Sharon decided on Morningside, Jim decided to follow along. “I didn’t even know where Morningside was located,” Jim commented, smiling at his bride of more than 50 years.
Listen to the Walkers tell their story on Inside Mside, our podcast highlighting all things Morningside. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.
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