Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

Decorate with memories
that have special meaning
One of the things I love most
about the Christmas season is
decorating the tree.
Carolyn and I have hundreds of ornaments
collected over 43 years of marriage
– everything from the shiny Wayland ornaments
the Museum of the Llano Estacado
offers every year to the plastic “Hamburglar”
one of our three kids got in a McDonald’s
Happy Meal when they were little.
Each ornament carries a good memory.
In that vein, I’d like to hang some “precious
memory” Wayland ornaments on my
mental tree.
n Being encouraged in the summer of
1967 by Dr. Neil Record, assistant to
the president and possessed with the
“Voice of God,” to abandon plans to
attend West Texas State University and
come to Wayland
n Meeting on my first visit to Gates Hall
one of the nicest people I’ve ever known
– public relations secretary Melba Jo
Willis, who remains a dear friend
n Having the honor of being editor of The
Trailblazer newspaper for two years,
producing the first 12-page edition and
selling advertising for the first time
n Being in the second pledge class of Alpha
Phi Omega, men’s national service
fraternity whose motto is “Leadership,
Friendship and Service”
n Covering Wayland basketball games for
The Plainview Herald and first broadcasting
them on 10-watt campus radio
station KHBL (forerunner of KWLD) in a
cranny of Gates Hall – good experience
even though we only had about one
listener per watt. I also enjoyed being a
late-night disc jockey even if you could
not play back-to-back 45s unless you
talked while cueing the second record
since we only had one 45 turntable
n Making friends with such guys as Danny
Murphree, Gary Abercrombie, Dick
Helms and Mike Ballew who are the
same great fellows today they were
when we met more than 40 years ago
n Having Dorothy Jamar for English – even
if she did decide that classmate Charles
Hardin and I had a “personality flaw”
because we didn’t turn in our term
papers on time
n Having fun officiating flag football games,
even though the Men of McDonald Hall
are still mad at me four decades later
for forfeiting a game due to a player
who insisted on tackling the opposing
runner
n Enjoying eating tacos and watching a
new program called “Hee-Haw” on
Monday nights on the black-and-white
TV with friends in our concrete-block
Collier Hall apartments – $62.50 a
month, all bills paid
n Continuing to realize that but for the
grace of God…and that of French
teacher Christa Smith and biology prof
Gerald Thompson I would not possess a
Wayland degree
n Getting to come to my Alma Mater
to take over alumni services from a
Wayland legend – Joe Provence – and
working with some of the best people
on earth
n Being a part of a faith-based institution
preparing young men and young women
to be great leaders wherever God
takes them
The title of the iconic Christmas movie
says it all – “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Blessings to all Wayland alumni and
friends at this most wonderful time of the
year…and for a happy, healthy and prosperous
2013.
Thinking Out Loud
Danny Andrews
Director of Alumni
Development
“ The title
of the iconic
Christmas
movie says
it all – “It’s
A Wonderful
Life.”
footprints 29
“