欧美视频

BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� Seven 欧美视频 alumni were honored with special awards in recognition of living lives of service at Honors Chapel on Friday, Sept. 22.

The event marks the beginning of Homecoming festivities and also featured the presentation of the 2017 Homecoming court.

鈥淭he alumni receiving the Life Service Awards are people whose lives have been lived in such a way that they have earned our utmost respect and admiration,鈥� said 欧美视频 President C. Pat Taylor, Ed.D. 鈥淲e are proud that they are alumni of 欧美视频, and we are delighted to honor them with the Life Service Award, which is the highest honor given to alumni by 欧美视频.鈥�

Edwin Lightfoot Distinguished Alumni Award

The National Alumni Association Board presents the Edwin Lightfoot Distinguished Alumni Award annually to an alumnus or alumna who demonstrates the ideals personified by the late Edwin Lightfoot 鈥�40. The award criteria include alumni leadership in the University, dedication to the education and welfare of youth and demonstrated support for 欧美视频.

Steve Morrow 鈥�72: Steve Morrow, who received his bachelor of arts degree from Southwest Baptist College in 1972, was the freshman class president, played intramural sports, and enjoyed attending plays offered through the 欧美视频 theatre department. He later earned his master of science degree at the University of Missouri in 1980.

Morrow is retired after working as the State of Missouri Director in the Office of Child Advocacy for five years. He also served at 欧美视频 as director of student life/vice president of student development for 12 years and as a faculty/staff member for 17陆 years. He was voted administrator of the year on three occasions by the Student Government Association.

鈥淚 am humbled and grateful for their kind recognition,鈥� Morrow said of the 欧美视频 Alumni Association Board鈥檚 honor. 鈥淒uring my years of service at 欧美视频, I had the opportunity to work with three presidents and CEOs: Dr. Jim Sells, who taught me how to dream big; Sen. Roy Blunt, who taught me how to exercise meaningful leadership at a cabinet-level position; and Dr. Pat Taylor, who shared my belief that at 欧美视频, we are all about students.鈥�

Morrow, who has authored five books, served as board president for the local Alpha House Pregnancy Center and House of Hope Domestic Violence Shelter, and is a member and deacon of First Baptist Church in Bolivar, where he attends with his wife, Jean. They have two adult children, Matthew Morrow and Melissa Vestal.

Alumni Life Service Awards

Inspired by the Life Beautiful Award presented each year to one male and one female graduate, President John Dowdy suggested to the Southwest Baptist College Board of Trustees in 1955 that the Life Service Award be given annually to graduates whose lives have exemplified the principles which are upheld at Southwest. The award is the highest recognition that the University can bestow upon an alumnus or alumna. This year鈥檚 recipients include:

Joe Dillsaver 鈥�65, 鈥�67: Joe Dillsaver received his associate鈥檚 degree from Southwest Baptist College in 1965, and was part of SWBC鈥檚 first senior college graduating class of 1967, when he earned a bachelor of arts degree in speech. In 1968, he earned his master of art鈥檚 degree in communication and his Ph.D. in communications in 1975 from the University of Missouri. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1977. Dr. Dillsaver is a retired Air Force officer and attorney, and served as a professor of criminal justice at Northeastern State University from 2000-2009. He also served as president of the University of Missouri Veterans Alumni Association this past year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing that the Lord knew what he wanted to do with my life in the summer of 1963 because I didn鈥檛 have a clue,鈥� Dillsaver said. 鈥淲hen I came to Southwest, I knew no one. As I went to eat on that first day, I began to realize the wonderful and special people that began to shape my life.

鈥淢y life changed forever when I walked into a speech class taught by the late Bob Derryberry. He would go on to not only be my mentor, he would go on to be a fellow graduate student and doctoral student at the University of Missouri 鈥� and friend.

鈥淔or all the special people (at 欧美视频) 鈥� they were special then, they鈥檙e special now and they鈥檒l be special in the future, even to the time when we enter into the presence of our Lord and Savior.鈥�

Dillsaver, who has had three novels published and six manuscripts completed, attends First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, with his wife, Jackie. They have two children, Dr. Matthew Dillsaver and Carrie (Dillsaver) McCracken.

Richard Wright 鈥�81: Wright, a Life Beautiful recipient in 1981, earned bachelor of arts degrees in both religious studies and speech communications and theatre. In 1984, he received his master of divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City.

鈥淩eceiving this award is another example of my great God鈥檚 giftedness to me,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚 have been blessed with amazing models of service 鈥� a pastor in Connecticut and the faculty here at 欧美视频.鈥�

But the two models whom Wright said stand out in his life of making others a priority are Jesus and his wife, Jackie.

鈥淭hose are the two great examples of service in my life,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淛esus鈥� compassion, His love, His healing, His way with children is just amazing. He truly is the suffering servant Messiah, and everything about Jesus is about others and serving. My sweet wife who is a tremendous visible model of service every single day of my life. I have not met anyone as selfless and as a servant as she is.鈥�

Wright also shared the fondness that he, and his family, have for 欧美视频, as they and their children are all graduates.

鈥淭his is a really loved institution by myself and by my wife,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚t has a special place in our hearts. It was here that I learned to be a servant by my professors, by those we were around; it really was a great example of servitude.鈥�

Wright was the lead pastor of First Baptist Church of West Plains for 10 years. Since 1997, he has been chairman of the Missions Committee for the Baptist Convention of New England. Wright also served as the President of the Baptist Convention of New England from 1995-1997.

He continues to live out his life of service as he works as a paraprofessional at Bolivar Intermediate School. Wright is married to Jacklyn Wright 鈥�79, 鈥�14. They were blessed with three children, Nathan 鈥�05, Angela 鈥�07, 鈥�08, and Jonathan 鈥�12, and a grandson, Jude.

For the first time in the history of the Life Service Award, 欧美视频 recognized couples as award recipients.

Bob and Leslie Marsden 鈥�73: Bob and Leslie (Keathley) Marsden both earned their bachelor degrees from 欧美视频 in 1973 鈥� Bob received his B.S. in business administration and Leslie received her B.A. in elementary education. The Marsdens were longtime residents of Bolivar, where Leslie owned and ran Leslie鈥檚 Craft Carousel for 20 years, and Bob was a member of the Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce.

鈥淚 think this honor goes more to the folks that have stood in our balcony,鈥� Bob said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the ones that deserve all the honor and credit for this. Without them, we wouldn鈥檛 be us.鈥�

Leslie said she was 鈥渂lown away鈥� by the Life Service Award, and shared her family鈥檚 history at 欧美视频.

鈥淢y mom and dad met here, Bob and I met here, our son and his beautiful wife met here, so we have a lovely history and have lots of cousins who have attended here,鈥� Leslie said. 鈥淲e have a long, rich history and many of the professors taught my dad and my mom, but then they got Monica, and that was a treasure. Then, they got me, and that was just an adventure.鈥�

Leslie also expressed her appreciation for her husband, Bob, whom she described as 鈥渢he wind beneath my wings,鈥� saying he never complained about caring for her sister.

The Marsdens have been caregivers for Leslie鈥檚 sister, Monica Keathley, who was paralyzed from the neck down after contracting Transverse Myelitis in 2006. They sold their home and business and moved to North Little Rock, Ark., to care for Monica. The Marsdens attend Park Hill Baptist Church, where Leslie teaches Sunday School and leads the Celebration Choir, of which Bob is a member. They have one son, Peter, who graduated from 欧美视频 in 2001 with a B.A. in middle school history.

John and Linda Sheehy 鈥�65 鈥�67: John and Linda (Shepherd) Sheehy both received their associate鈥檚 degrees from Southwest Baptist College in 1965, and were also part of SWBC鈥檚 first senior college graduating class of 1967. The Sheehys also were named Mr. and Miss Southwest during their time at SWBC.

鈥淭his honor could have been given to so many of our classmates,鈥� Linda said. 鈥淭his is our 50^th year and it鈥檚 a big deal to us. Some of us are celebrating 50 years of marriage, and a lot of our classmates were missionaries and pastors, and I had the pleasure of ministering in the classroom.

鈥�(To the young people) whether you鈥檙e a lawyer, or a professor, or you work on staff, or you鈥檙e an elementary school teacher, or a coach, whatever you do in life, remember that God is faithful and if you ask Him for His help and His guidance, He鈥檚 abundantly ready to provide.鈥�

John told the current students that he and Linda hope they will have the type of experience that they had at 欧美视频.

鈥淲hen I got here, I was 17 years old, and I had the worldview of my parents,鈥� John said, 鈥渂ut when I left here four years later, I had a value system that was taught to me by the faculty and staff at Southwest. The values that we were taught in the 鈥�60s are still being taught here. Linda and I felt that we got a great start to a career and education here at Southwest Baptist.

鈥淚 challenge you students to get your value system while you鈥檙e here; it鈥檚 here for you to take. Get a good education, don鈥檛 be afraid to make friends, it will totally enrich your life as long as you live. And, if you get your wife of 50 years, it鈥檚 a bonus.鈥�  

Linda, a retired teacher of 34 years, and John, a retired hall-of-fame basketball coach, live in Siloam Springs, Ark., and attend Fellowship Bible Church, where they have taught Sunday school to young married couples for more than 35 years. They have two children, Dr. Tracy Manly, a professor of accounting at Tulsa University, and Clark Sheehy, head men鈥檚 basketball coach at 欧美视频.

For more information about 欧美视频 Homecoming, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at (417) 328-1806.

 

CUTLINE: 欧美视频 presented special alumni awards during Honors Chapel on Friday, Sept. 22. Front row (left to right) 鈥� Linda (Shepherd) Sheehy (Life Service Award), Dr. C. Pat Taylor, 欧美视频 president, Leslie (Keathley) Marsden (Life Service Award) and Dr. Lee Skinkle, 欧美视频 provost. Back row (from left) 鈥� John Sheehy (Life Service Award), Dr. Joe Dillsaver (Life Service Award), Dr. Steve Morrow (Edwin Lightfoot Distinguished Alumni Award recipient) and Bob Marsden (Life Service Award).

*Published: 9-24-17