Texas Tidbits_50205

Posted: 4/29/05

Texas Tidbits

Baylor students win grants. Two Baylor University graduate students who are working on joint degrees from the School of Social Work and Truett Theological Seminary have written grants that won $226,000 for the university. Becky Shumake of Winnfield, La., wrote a proposal to the Texas Workforce Commission for funds to develop programs to help poor families who are working but not making enough money to escape poverty. The commission awarded $200,000 for a program in Waco, and the proposal sparked a statewide effort. Krissi Vandagriff of Austin wrote a grant to the Cooper Foundation, which provided $26,000 to fund a staff member who can support Christian Women's Job Corps volunteers, who help poor women develop work skills to support themselves and their families.

Bird Endowed Scholarship established at HPU. An endowed scholarship for science and mathematics been established at Howard Payne University in honor of Dean Donal Bird and his wife, Marjorie, an associate professor of chemistry and mathematics. Their children and spouses– E.J. and Jill Bird, Erin and Kim Bird, and Edward and Lorenna Yantis–created the endowment. The scholarship will provide tuition assistance to deserving students majoring in either science or math.

ETBU vice president announces retirement. Wallace Watkins will retire from East Texas Baptist University Dec. 31 after 10 years as vice president for spiritual development. University Chaplain Dane Fowlkes has been named as his successor, effective June 1. Watkins will remain on staff during the transition period. Watkins served 18 years as pastor of Central Baptist Church in Marshall before joining ETBU. Previously, he was pastor of First Baptist Church in Hitchcock and associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana.

Hardin-Simmons receives Faulkner collection. Jacqueline Emerson-Barron presented about 300 rare volumes and related materials by novelist William Faulkner to Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. The collection includes signed first editions and limited editions. The Barron/Faulkner Collection will be housed in a custom display area in the Richardson Library's Betty Wood's Rare and Fine Books Room.

Runnels named dean at HBU. Houston Baptist University has named Brian Runnels dean of the university's College of Arts and Humanities. Currently a professor of music and graduate coordinator at Murray State University in Kentucky, Runnels will join the HBU faculty June 1, succeeding James Taylor, who retires May 31. Runnels is an HBU alumnus who earned graduate degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Olton couple fund scholarships for Kenyans. Contributions by Archie and Rosayln Sorley of First Baptist Church in Olton to Wayland Baptist University will help Kenyan students earn their associate's degrees through Wayland's partnership with Kenya Baptist Theological College. The Sorleys also made a donation recently to Baptist Student Ministries at Wayland to assist students pursuing missions experiences this summer through various mission-sending agencies.

UMHB receives Lord Foundation grant. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor recently received a $50,000 grant from the Grogan Lord Foundation in Georgetown for the Ida Myrtle Roberts Manning Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship, which has reached a total endowment of more than $800,000. Sharon Lord Caskey of Georgetown established this scholarship in 1996 in memory of her grandmother, Ida Myrtle Roberts Manning, who attended Baylor College for Women–now UMHB–in 1905.