Texas Tidbits

Posted: 4/13/07

Texas Tidbits

Buckner honors contributors.

Buckner International honored top contributors at its annual Founder’s Day event April 13. R.C. Buckner Founder’s Award recipients include Ruth and Don Buchholz of Dallas as philanthropists of the year and North Park Baptist Church in Abilene for dedicated church service. A donation by the Buchholz family, members of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, made possible construction of the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid. The center, in east Dallas, will serve as the international receiving, processing and sending point for shoes collected through the Shoes for Orphan Souls drive, medicines, food, clothing and other humanitarian aid to orphans and at-risk children and families. North Park Baptist Church was recognized for its collaboration with Buckner to benefit the Buckner Children’s Home in Lubbock and the Bruce Ford Community Center in Amarillo. Pastor Louis Johnson also also traveled with church members to Guatemalan and Peruvian orphanages, ministering to orphan children through Buckner. Chevron Phillips Chemical Company also was honored for support of Buckner Children and Family Services of Southeast Texas.  

HBU applies to rejoin NCAA.

Houston Baptist University has made application to rejoin the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a Division I member. As a result of HBU’s application to the NCAA, the Huskies will leave the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics at the end of this school year. HBU was a member of the NCAA from 1967 until 1990 and competed as a Division I member from 1973 until 1989. HBU left the NCAA for the NAIA in fall 1990. The Huskies currently compete in seven sports—basketball, baseball and soccer for men, and basketball, softball, volleyball and soccer for women.

Wayland trustees OK capital campaign.

Wayland Baptist University’s board of trustees approved administrators moving forward with a major capital gifts campaign in conjunction with the university’s centennial celebration in 2008. Specifically, the board approved continuing an arrangement with Cargill Associates of Fort Worth to supervise and guide a capital campaign aimed at improvements on the Plainview campus and in San Antonio. Two simultaneous campaigns would be held to support additional building ventures at the South Texas campus, as well as needed improvements, facilities and scholarships on the main campus in Plainview. The board also approved a rise in tuition for most students and a $45 million budget, up about 11 percent over the current budget.

Orlando Magic VP speaks at Hardin-Simmons.

Motivational speaker and author Pat Williams, senior vice president and cofounder of the Orlando Magic National Basketball Association team, will address Hardin-Simmons University at 7 p.m., April 19, as keynote of the school’s McIntyre Distinguished Speaker Series. Drawing from his 40-plus years of experience in professional baseball and basketball, Williams will discuss “finding the will to win.” Williams, who has spoken at two Billy Graham crusades, is the father of 19 children—14 of them adopted from four countries.