THE SPIRIT HENDERSON MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2013 Campus Improvements Chick-Fil-A & Starbucks Homecoming A Week of Celebration Kevin Rodgers Henderson’s Humble Quarterback Business School Accreditation Ken Duke A Story of Patience and Perseverance p. 12 PLUS: A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY FOR DR. JOHN G. HALL | IN MEMORIAM DR. CHARLESTHE D. SPIRITDUNN | HENDERSONTHE FIRE OF| 19141 THE SPIRIT OF HENDERSON Inside SPIRIT FALL 2013 ISSUE PRESIDENT Glendell Jones, ‘92 DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Letter from the President Carrie Roberson COORDINATOR OF ALUMNI SERVICES Sherry Wright Almost 100 years ago, a devastating fire threatened to close Henderson. But instead of extinguishing the university we know and love, the experience made the institution strong, CONTRIBUTORS Steve Fellers, ‘83 resilient and hopeful. These qualities are what we have come to know as the Reddie Spirit. Dr. John Hall We see that it is still alive today in our students who engage in scholarship and service, in Jackie Inouye our alumni who are making a significant difference in society and in our faculty who excel in Troy Mitchell Yvonne Saul, ‘09 teaching, challenging and encouraging our students each day. This issue of the The Spirit is COVER STORY Beth Taggard dedicated to that Spirit, which lives throughout the Henderson community. PHOTOGRAPHER Steve Fellers, ‘83 I appreciate the privilege of serving as Henderson’s president over this past year. Together, the 12 KEN DUKE: A Story of Patience campus is working to bring about some positive changes while holding fast to those traditions BOARD OF TRUSTEES that have always made Henderson a quality institution. and Perseverance Carol Jo Atkinson, ‘73, ‘74 Brown Hardman, ‘61 Henderson State alum Ken Duke Bruce Moore, ‘89 This year, we have celebrated many successes. The School of Business maintained its overcame obstacles to succeed in his Michael Myers, ‘77 prestigious accreditation in The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Deborah Nolan, ‘76, ‘81 profession. Ross M. Whipple, ‘73 International, the Teachers College English/Language Arts Education Program was nationally PHOTO CREDIT/GETTY IMAGES CREDIT/GETTY PHOTO Bill Wright, ‘70 COVER PHOTO CREDIT/GETTY IMAGES recognized by the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), and Henderson’s Institute for Play Therapy earned designation as an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education by the ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD Sandy Crawley, ‘78, ’95, President Association for Play Therapy (APT). FEATURES Tyler Broyles, ‘07, President Elect Derek Webb, ‘92, Past President Blake Campbell, ‘11 Many of our efforts over this past year continue the student-centered focus for which Henderson Shelbi Carpenter, ‘07 is known. Henderson has expanded its academic offerings to include a new online master’s Jeff Coventry, ‘02 degree in education technology leadership, two new bachelor’s degrees in engineering physics Sue Ehrgood, ‘73 Dr. Stanley Ellis, ‘98 and criminal justice, and additional degree tracks in biochemistry and statistics (mathematics). Dr. Walter Frazee, ‘74 The university has also expanded its course offerings in business and education in Hot Springs Dr. Alvin Futrell, ‘70 on the campus of National Park Community College. Additionally, significant renovations Tene Green, ‘01 Curt Hays, ‘68 to our campus, including a new dining hall and updates to Smith and Newberry Halls, have Nick Klatt, ‘87 made our living and learning environment more attractive than ever. HSU/FILE PHOTO Eddie Lamb, ‘92 Susie Marks, ‘89 4 6 8 Matt Runyan, ‘04 Our new Henderson News Blog and upcoming changes to our website and social media The night the Reddie Spirit Kevin Rodgers: Campus Improvements John Steelman, ‘65 presence promise to provide better communication about the university, and to continue the was born … Henderson’s Humble Mindy Thornton, ‘83 tradition of valuing the input of our students, faculty, alumni and friends. Quarterback CONNECTIONS Prospective students have an ever-increasing number of options for obtaining an education PLUS facebook.com/henderson.alumni today. Now, perhaps more than ever, the support of our alumni and friends will be crucial 10 17 twitter.com/hsualumni as we strive to educate the next generation of Reddies. As we anticipate the celebration of Dr. John G. Hall: Athletics Henderson’s 125th anniversary, I hope you will join me in reflecting on how we can continue A Golden Anniversary 18 hsunews.com the university’s time-honored tradition of providing a high quality education in a caring 11 Estate Planning: Ensuring for the Future flickr.com/getreddie environment. Dr. Charles D. Dunn: 19 CONTACT President 1986-2008 Alumni Updates HSU Office of Advancement In Reddie Spirit, 1100 Henderson Street 14 23 HSU Box 7540, 7703 Campus News Cultural Calendar Arkadelphia, AR 71999-0001 (870) 230-5401 • (877) 733-2586 Glen Jones 16 24 hsu.edu/alumni • [email protected] Class of ‘92 Awards & Honors Homecoming Calendar 2 | THE SPIRIT HENDERSON THE SPIRIT HENDERSON | 3 the scores of girls from the third-floor dormitory … The girls just met that night and decided they were going to stay, that stood in their nightclothes watching the building burn, while they weren’t going to let anything keep them from going to the College boys ‘invaded the burning dormitory and began college. That Spirit has been around ever since.” the work of saving the possessions of the girl students.’ They formed salvage lines and rushed trunk after trunk along the As a former director of public affairs at Henderson and current sidewalk leading from the College to the street. Many of these leader in the Arkadelphia community, Mann can attest to ‘boys risked their lives in this work, but they saved nearly every the strength of the Spirit that still runs through Henderson trunk in the building.’ In addition, they had saved ‘the entire students today. She noted that the same strong ties students library, consisting of thousands of volumes, the trophies of form with Henderson now were also evident the night of the athletic field, silver cups won on debates and more than a fire: “The [1914] students had already been at Henderson for dozen pianos.’” The building was completely destroyed, but six months and had fallen in love with the school and formed no lives were lost that day. a bond with each other. They all pulled together.” If the story stopped here, there may not have been a modern- Mann says that the actions of those who returned to rebuild day Henderson State University. But it did not. While ruins still teach us a valuable lesson today: “Those are students we of the building continued to smolder, then-president George can relate to; if things don’t go as they should, we ought to be Henry Crowell met with five of the university’s board members able to do like they did. The hardship just made them want to who lived in Arkadelphia for approval of a plan. Dr. Crowell keep on.” Perhaps it is this very spirit that makes Henderson then returned to campus and wrote on a plank, “The College “the school with a heart.” will be rebuilt; recitations will be resumed tomorrow,” and posted it over the college gate. He then returned to the students, who were huddled under the pines on the lawn, and told them what he had written on the plank. The students responded with an outpouring of support and sang spirited HSU/FILE PHOTO school songs. The next morning, as they met to have their regular chapel The night the by Jackie Inouye service on the lawn, President Crowell encouraged the students to stay and immediately arranged for temporary accommodations. In the days that followed, a new living and Reddie Spirit was born … learning community was established nearby in residences of Arkadelphians and in the president’s home. The first of several A tower bell on the South Lawn exists as a silent memorial to one of the most important moments in Henderson’s history. temporary structures was raised within a week. A year from The bell is all that remains of the structure once known as the Henderson-Brown Main Building, destroyed by fire almost the date of the fire, the new university administration building a century ago. But in the hearts of alumni, this event was crucial in the formation of what is known as the “Reddie Spirit.” was opened, complete with classrooms and living quarters for This Spirit serves as the Henderson mascot, but perhaps more importantly it represents the pride and motivation behind the the female students. Almost the whole student body remained; university’s many successful students and alumni. records show that only about seven students left Henderson as a result of the fire. Henderson had faced the worst and had In the early morning of February 3, 1914, Building and Grounds Superintendent James B. Garrett was completing his emerged stronger and more determined than before. accustomed rounds when he discovered a small fire in the kitchen of the Main Building just before 5 a.m. Although the fire was still small, access to the necessary water and assistance was limited, and the blaze quickly overtook the building before Although the inspirational story of Henderson’s fire and rebirth the fire department could arrive. is known by every alumnus, few have the familiarity of Mary Jo Mann, HSU ’62, who delivers the annual Pine Tree Speech While teachers assisted with the evacuation of the female students in the third-floor dormitory, male students rushed back to all of campus in the fall. When asked why the fire was such into the building to salvage as much personal and school property as possible. Bennie Gene Bledsoe, author of “Henderson a formative moment in the university’s history, Mann said, State University: Education Since 1980 Volume 1,” wrote of this vivid moment: “The vital, immediate concern was to evacuate “It’s the birth of the Reddie Spirit, the fact that the students HSU/FILE PHOTO 4 | THE SPIRIT HENDERSON THE SPIRIT HENDERSON | 5 “… here at Henderson, everyone from of the most rewarding feelings one can have.