Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

WBU recognizes scholarship donors
Story by Richard Petty
Wayland Baptist University
administrators took time
during homecoming to
recognize several families that have endowed
scholarships to benefit Wayland
students.
During the Homecoming Chapel,
Director of Alumni Development Danny
Andrews recognized Charles and
Mary Abercrombie with three honors,
including an endowed scholarship established
by the couple’s four children.
The Abercrombies were also presented
with the Distinguished Benefactor
Award and the Keeper of the Flame
Award, recognizing individuals for significant
donations to the university.
Although the couple did not attend
Wayland, two of their four children did.
Dr. Gary Abercrombie (wife, Janice), of
Plainview, and his sister, Trisha Worthen
(husband, Bill), both graduated
from the university and currently Dr.
Abercrombie serves as the chairman of
the board of trustees.
The Joanne Bowers Chemical
Education Endowed Scholarship was
dedicated during a special reception
held in the Moody Science Building.
The scholarship was in recognition
of Bowers’ 50-plus years of service
through chemical education, teaching
at the high school and collegiate levels.
Joanne Bowers is married to Dr. J.
Hoyt Bowers, former longtime science
faculty member at Wayland, and the
couple has a son, Mark, and two grandchildren.
Other scholarships were dedicated
at a special luncheon. The Weldon and
Betty Beckner scholarships honor Dr.
and Mrs. Beckner who graduated from
Wayland Baptist College in 1955, Betty
with a B.A. in English and Dr. Beckner
with a B.S. in business administration.
Dr. Beckner’s career as an educator
included serving as a vice president at
Wayland.
Dr. Fred and Sally Meeks were
recognized with the endowment of a
scholarship that will benefit students at
Wayland who plan to pursue vocational
Christian ministry. Dr. Meeks served as
a pastor before entering education. He
taught courses in Bible, theology and
Christian ministry for 21 years at Wayland
and held the position of Dean of
the Division of Religion and Philosophy.
He now serves as the director of the
Logsdon Seminary Lubbock Program.
Sally Meeks is a registered nurse
who served in various hospitals and
public schools. She retired as school
nurse at Plainview High School in
2006. The couple has two daughters,
Marnie and Meredith.
Loren Phillips of Lubbock established
the Garland L. and Waty D.
Phillips Endowed Scholarship in honor
Scholarship plaques line the
podium as Wayland President Dr.
Paul Armes adresses the crowd
at the homecoming luncheon in
October.
of his parents out of gratitude for their
love, provision and Christian influence
on his life. Garland Phillips was a
native of Rotan and worked for Vulcan
Materials in Denver City. Mrs. Phillips
was a native of Emory, Texas and was a
homemaker.
The university also recognized the
Browning family for a series of scholarships
established based on a generous
in-kind gift, including the Hollis W. and
Venita Browning Scholarship. Hollis
and Venita Browning were married in
1928 and were owners of cotton gins,
ice plants and grocery stores, while
also being engaged in farming. Hollis
died in 1967 and Venita in 1998.
Four other scholarships were
named in honor of other members
of the Browning family, including the
Jeane Lee II and Sandra Sioen Browning
Scholarship, the Paul and Kathryn
Browning Holloway Scholarship, the
James and Karen Browning Higgins
Scholarship, and the John T. and Alicia
S. Browning Scholarship.
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