Summer 2000 Wheaton
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Summer 2000 Wheaton Jump Start for a New Century We asked, and you gave d ear friends— “Already . but not yet.” Thus do theologians often speak of Christ’s kingdom. Our Lord’s rule in the world was inaugurated with His death and resurrection, but His rulership also awaits its eschatological fulfillment at His return. So in one sense we rightfully say that Jesus reigns; but in another, that He does not yet reign fully. His kingdom is both “already ...but not yet.” If this is true of our Lord, we should also expect it to be true of His followers. Whatever we accomplish for Christ’s kingdom will likely bear that same “already . but not yet” quality. Hence our ambivalent response to our successes:While pleased by them, we are also humbled by them, knowing it could have been otherwise; though confident of Christ’s ultimate triumph, we resist a prideful triumphalism since His full victory is yet to be achieved; while we genuinely celebrate, we do so, in a sense, wistfully, always aware of how much there is yet to be done. Our kingdom work too, then, is marked by an “already ...but not yet.” It was with just this sort of theological ambivalence that we announced recently we had reached the $140 million goal of Wheaton’s New Century Challenge. On the one hand this event represents a significant milestone in the history of the College, and we have been celebrating it with great joy. God’s blessing on this effort has been apparent from the beginning, and we want to thank—how inadequate that tiny word!—both Him and all those who have responded to His prompting by generously helping us reach this goal. It is a great victory won.Ah, but there is also our ever-present “. not yet.” Goals still unachieved, Initiative projects still unfunded, a Phase Two yet to come. Along with our celebrations, you will read about some of our unfinished work too in this issue of Wheaton. And why would we think it should be otherwise? We are celebrating these days a wondrous milestone for Wheaton College, but there is so much more to be done.Thus it shall always be, I think, for those who live “For Christ and His Kingdom,” at least until our Lord arrives to make all things complete. Duane Litfin President volume 3 number 4 Table of Contents Editor p.2 The sketch Georgia I. Douglass ’70, M.A. ’94 becomes reality Assistant Editor Michael Murray p. 40 Alumni Weekend 2000 Designer p.11 A call to uphold absolutes Les Barker Design Consultant Alice Isoz Chrismer ’70 Class News Editor Deborah MacPherson Gove ’92 Editorial Advisers Marilee A. Melvin ’72 R. Mark Dillon Alumni Association President A.Thomas Paulsen ’70 Features President-elect Charles V. Hogren ’58 2 The Measure of Stewardship Executive Director Reaching the $140 million goal of the New Century Marilee A. Melvin ’72 Challenge required support from every College Professor Emeritus LeRoy H. Pfund ’49 constituency. More than 37,000 individuals gave Alumni Trustee 151,009 gifts during the largest funding effort in the Representatives Ray Carlsen ’60 history of the College. A.Thomas Paulsen ’70 C. Samuel Gray ’52 11 The Corruption of Conscience Board of Directors Class of 2001 “Conscience,” Charles W.Colson warned during his Wesley C. Bleed ’80 Bud McCalla ’59 Graduate School commencement address,“is no longer Elaine Wakefield McCalla ’60 thought of as an inner moral compass.” Edith E. Nowack ’49 Mary Graham Ryken M.A. ’88 Sharen Nerhus Sommerville ’72 David R.Veerman ’65 Departments Class of 2002 Patrick O. Cate ’63 14 Profile Mary Ann Seume Cate ’65 Robert D. Dye ’73 Dr.Taylor McKenzie ’54, the first Navajo M.D. and Katherine E. Gieser ’99 current vice president of his nation, is named Alumnus Susan H. Grosser ’71 Janice Stevenson Nickel ’69 of the Year for Distinguished Service to Society. Class of 2003 Randal Ellison ’77 Marilyn L. Himmel ’55 16 Under the Tower Dwight E. Nelson ’72 Seven faculty members, having taught at Wheaton from Shane A. Scott ’96 Brian J.Wildman ’85 23 to 45 years, say goodbye. On My Mind: Wheaton College Dr. Clint Shaffer ’84 remembers Charles President Malik’s The Two Tasks. Dr. Duane Litfin Scholarly Pursuits: Dr. Roger Kennett is fascinated Provost Dr. Stanton L. Jones with what is not known about life. Senior Vice President Dr. David E. Johnston ’65 22 Sports Vice President for Advancement Dr. R. Mark Dillon 24 A Word With Alumni / Alumni News Vice President for Alumni Relations Marilee A. Melvin ’72 Vice President for 44 The Journal of Jonathan Blanchard Student Development Dr. Samuel Shellhamer Diverse Notes on Activities at Wheaton Wheaton is published winter, spring, 48 At Last special (catalog), summer, and autumn by Wheaton College, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187-5593, 630-752-5047, and mailed free of charge to alumni and Cover Photo: Les Barker. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago was the setting for the friends of Wheaton College. Periodicals final New Century Challenge banquet, attended by more than 900 guests.At all six banquets— postage paid at Wheaton, IL (USPS016326). the others were in Minneapolis, Dallas, Boca Raton, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.—nearly Postmaster: Please send address changes to Wheaton College,Wheaton,IL 60187-5593. 2,000 alumni and friends attended and gave $485,415 toward the goals of the New Century Opinions expressed are those of the Challenge. contributors or the editors and do not necessarily represent the official position The purpose of the Wheaton College Alumni Association is to unite all alumni of Wheaton College into a compact of the College. organization for effective communication with each other and with the College, to arrange alumni reunions, to encourage © 2000 Wheaton College,Wheaton, IL the formation of Wheaton Clubs throughout the world, to foster and perpetuate enthusiasm for the College and fellow www.wheaton.edu alumni, and to promote alumni giving. Gift upon gift, dollar upon dollar.We asked, and you gave. And the New Century Challenge reached its $140 million goal more than a year ahead of schedule. the CAMPAIGN GOAL: $140 MILLION CAMPAIGN GIFTS: $145.4 MILLION * Measure PLANNED GIFTS goal: $32,000,000 / gifts: $34,370,479 107% of INITIATIVES goal: $68,343,000 / gifts: $64,084,721 94% Stewardship CURRENT GIFTS goal: $38,057,000 / gifts: $46,967,381 123% by Dr. R. Mark Dillon * percentage of goal reached Vice President for Advancement can’t say I was looking forward to the The whole Wheaton family— I appointment. I had met the couple at a New not just a few Century Challenge event and knew they When President Duane Litfin and the Board of were wonderful people—alumni with Wheaton Trustees began thinking of a concerted effort to roots. But I also knew that one of their children try to make Wheaton all it should be, they soon had attended Wheaton some years ago but realized that it would not be business as usual. transferred out by the sophomore year, disap- Accomplishing this task would take leadership pointed with the experience here. from every sector of the Wheaton family. Still, that day I found some comfort in The trustees committed to giving knowing that, after all, they had invited me into $30 million, more than 20 percent of the total their home. As I drove from the airport to their home, $140 million. But their extraordinary commit- I did what I often do to prepare for a visit— ment was not limited to giving financially. I thought about why we were involved in this Each trustee pitched in, writing letters of effort called the New Century Challenge. endorsement to foundations, sponsoring events, or making personal contacts.Their question as As we stand at the summit of this, the largest trustees was not “How much do you need?” but NEW funding effort in the history of the College, “How can I contribute?” CENTURY CHALLENGE think with me about the values that infused the We asked faculty and staff to make com- New Century Challenge. mitments—to give, to write letters, to travel— 2 Wheaton NEW CENTURY CHALLENGE and they responded in remarkable ways. Student influence Wheaton professors had on their lives, leaders joined in, too, telling their friends they chose the Faculty Initiative’s Faith and about the Initiatives and how they could get Learning Program as the centerpiece project. involved.Wheaton students traveled, spoke Wheaton Associates, Phonathon teams, the at forums, gave testimonies at numerous events, Heritage Society, and Parents Council all lent held fundraisers, and participated in their their energy and resources to achieve the goals class gifts—all significant contributions to the of the New Century Challenge. New Century Challenge. This broad participation brought strength Very early on, the Alumni Association and weight to the whole effort.The New Board of Directors eagerly pledged personal and Century Challenge was simply too big to be a corporate support.They set unprecedented president’s “campaign” or an advancement goals of 60 percent alumni participation and division effort. It required participation from all $60 million in total giving. Recognizing the who loved and cared for Wheaton. The Wheaton College Board C.William Pollard ’60 Thomas C. Pratt ’60 Kathleen Buswell of Trustees is made up of Trustee, Chairman of Chairman, Board of Trustees Nielson ’77 men and women of ability, the New Century Challenge True campaigns are never just Trustee achievement, and leadership. Executive Committee about raising money.They are Completing the As the owners and governing Through the vision, effort, about re-raising vision, New Century Challenge draws board of the College, they are and giving of many people, we retooling for the work ahead, my eyes ahead! What a delight a working board; they don’t have come to a successful and then about resourcing the to think of students coming to lend their names as mere completion of the New work.