Roots named Ouachita’s most iconic love story

BY JULIA SHANDS

Editor-in-Chief

It was 1980. He was a sophomore, and she was a senior. They first met in the old communications building known as Flenniken Hall, but it wasn’t until a 12-hour drive that Ouachita’s most iconic love story began.

Dr. Deborah Root, professor of communications and director of assessment and institutional research, was editor of the Ouachitonian while Dr. Jeff Root, professor of communications and dean of the School of Humanities and School of Education, was editor of the Signal newspaper. The two spent a copious amount of time together in the newsroom, and before they knew it, they became a match made in AP style heaven and the future dynamic duo for Ouachita’s communications department.

Deborah made the first move. 19-year-old Jeff had the night shift driving the 15-passenger van with several other students to attend a workshop led by Dr. Bill Downs, professor emeritus of communications, in Chicago, Illinois. Deborah felt like he shouldn’t do the night shift alone and sat beside him in the passenger seat.

“We talked all the way to Chicago, so that’s really how we got to know each other,” Jeff said. “I thought maybe that meant she had some interest in me. Later on, I thought, ‘You know, maybe she just thought I’d fall asleep and kill everybody.’ Not sure which one of those it was, but that was how we began to get to know each other.”

After interest was sparked in both of them, they went on their first date in Mitchell Auditorium, where Jones Science Center now stands. Every Sunday, Mitchell would show a movie, so Jeff asked Deborah to go see “Gone with the Wind.” The movie was three hours and 42 minutes long, and they spent it sitting in foldable wooden chairs. And in true journalist fashion, when the date was over, they went back to the newsroom to meet a deadline.

“Those were wooden chairs that we were sitting in with no cushions, so I wasn’t very comfortable,” Jeff said. “It was a long time to sit in those chairs. But, you know, it was worth it.” working together,” Jeff said. “And the reason that it kind of fits for us is that we’ve really never stopped working together. Now, we haven’t always had a job in the same place, but we went to grad school and had classes together, and since we got back here, we have been working together every day from that point on.” creating an unspoken competition between the two.

Deborah added, “And when Mitchell was torn down, we got the same row of seats where we had our first date, so they’re in our house.”

When Jeff served as editor, he didn’t have the privileges of today’s printing process. He had to physically build the pages by pasting them with wax and piecing them together on a light board. Because it was such a meticulous task, Jeff needed another set of eyes, which led to the beginning of Jeff and Deborah’s long career together.

“We just spent a lot of time

Jeff and Deborah got married in 1982. Jeff was a senior, and Deborah was one year out of school. “I didn’t expect to get married while I was a student,” Jeff said. But when I met Deborah, I mean, everything was just clear to both of us. I think that this was, you know, for life. It was just meant to be.”

Following a year in Fayetteville, Ark., the couple returned to Arkadelphia where Jeff taught at Arkadelphia high school, and Deborah began her career at Ouachita. After five years, it just made sense that they pursue their doctorate with one another at Oklahoma State University. They had one computer but two dissertations to write,

“We would not openly say we were competitive,” Jeff said. “But it was one of those deals where we worked in four-hour shifts, and I think we got through considerably faster this way because if she was going to spend four hours on her dissertation, and then the computer is available, well OK, I’m going to spend four hours on mine.”

98.’ And I said, ‘Well, Jeff made 100, and I got a 98, and nothing’s wrong.’ Then he took my blue book, and he opened it up, and in the back where he put a 98, he put, ‘Plus two points to maintain marital harmony.’”

They finished up their doctorates and knew they wanted to teach at a Christian university. Ironically, they got offers from Oklahoma Baptist, which many Ouachita students would call “the other OBU.” But, their hearts yearned for home. Jeff was hired as Ouachita’s public relations director, and Deborah was hired as the director of publications.

“We had the chance to come back to Ouachita, and it was just a dream come true,” Jeff said. “Not only to work together in the same department, but to be here. So once we got here in 1991, we’ve never looked seriously into going anywhere else. This is where we want to be, and you can have a calling to be an educator, you can have a calling to be in Christian education, but I feel specifically my calling is Ouachita.”

Even their doctoral professors knew that the pair had a friendly rivalry. Two academic overachievers can make for a dangerous household, and one professor in particular wittingly applied pressure to their already competitive nature with a blue book test.

“Jeff made a 100, and I made a 98, and there wasn’t anything marked wrong on my exam,” Deborah said. “I went up to the professor after class, and I said, ‘You didn’t mark anything wrong?’ He said, ‘No, that was great.’ I said, ‘But you gave me a 98.’ He said, ‘Yeah, I just wanted to give you a

Jeff has been at Ouachita for 32 years and Deborah for 36. This past summer, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Throughout this time, they’ve had a daughter, Abby, who met her husband Stephen at Ouachita, they’ve taken on multiple roles at the university, fostered meaningful relationships with students, welcomed a grandchild and have ultimately seen great success as educators. The best part is that they’ve done it together. The Root name has made a long-lasting impact on the School of Humanities.

“The things that we do, we just have always just done together,” Deborah said. “I mean, it’s like wanting to do something with your best friend, and he’s my best friend. We have always done it all together, and we always will.”