EDITOR’S NOTE: BP Ledger carries items for reader information each week from various Southern Baptist-related entities, and news releases of interest from other sources. The items are published as received.
Today’s BP Ledger includes items from:
International Mission Board
Hardin-Simmons University
Southern Baptist TEXAN
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
Criswell College
University of Mobile
Campbellsville University
Veteran Chinese Diaspora worker dies
By Susie Rain
TAIWAN (IMB)–Angie Cheng, a veteran Christian worker with the Chinese Diaspora, died May 7 in Taipei, Taiwan after complications associated with a bone marrow transplant. She was 62.
Her career spanned 25 years, working in six different countries. After she and her husband were appointed on August 11, 1985, they worked to equip leaders through theological training in Costa Rica, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Long time friend, Naomi Taylor* said Angie made a significant impact on so many students throughout the years.
“She mingled with the students as a student, not holding herself above them in anyway. She became their friend and was able to have an influence on their lives,” Taylor said. “Angie was quick with her smile and always had a good word to say of everyone.
“When one got to know Angie,” Taylor added, “one could readily tell she was a lady at peace with herself because she was at peace with God.”
Angie did not grow up in a Christian home. She was born on November 15, 1948 in Canton, China to Mr. and Mrs. Hsien-Lin Liu. She lived in China for less than one year, in Honk Kong for one year and then in Taiwan. She migrated to the USA in 1975. It was during college, studying to be a Chemistry teacher, that she became a follower of Jesus Christ.
She married Roland on February 2, 1974. After he felt a call to work with the Chinese Diaspora, Angie felt the same pull to training leaders. She helped to start many small groups to study the Bible as well as a ladies’ fellowship for migrant workers. Right up until her death she proclaimed the Good News, she witnessed to nurses and cancer patients.
A note from colleagues and friends, Ann and Hamish Craig,* was read to a group of mourners gathered at a memorial service on May 14. They could not attend but wanted everyone to know that Angie’s smile would be missed — a smile that impacted world through its warmth and generosity.
“She quietly and generously gave of herself. She humbly poured herself into ministry, never seeking attention or self-promotion,” the Craigs wrote.
The couple teased that if Angie knew they were honoring her with this service, she would be mortified to know that people were sitting around talking about her.
“She lived simply for the Lord and for others,” the couple added. “Never have we ever felt more encouragement from such simple generosity. Even in her weakest moments, she was thinking of others … and smiling.”
Angie is survived by her husband, Roland; two sons, James and Timothy and a daughter, Lois. One daughter preceded her in death. She died of meningitis when she was 21-months-old.
Memorials and donations can be made to the International Mission Board (IMB) and designated for Project B6THEOTRN.
*Names changed
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West Texas Friends, World War II Nurses, Reunite on West Texas Honor Flight
Memorial Day Brings Back Rich Memories
ABILENE, Texas (Hardin-Simmons University)–They were two friends going to nursing school together in 1938. Seven decades later, they are still friends, and recently found themselves reunited on the West Texas Honor Flight to relive the days they spent as nurses during World War II.
Dorothy Hansen and Pearl Gummelt were two of the World War II veterans to go on the April 12 West Texas Honor Flight to Washington D.C. The flight left from Abilene this past April carrying 210 West Texas WWII veterans on the one-day remembrance tour to see their memorial.
The veterans also got a chance to explore the Vietnam and Korean monuments, as well as the Lincoln Memorial, the Women’s Military Memorial, the Iwo Jima monument, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Chairing the West Texas Honor Flight jointly were Hardin-Simmons University alumnus Jeff Ballenger and HSU president, Dr. Lanny Hall. Through their efforts and generous donations from supportive and patriotic West Texans, some $265 thousand dollars was raised for the all-expense paid trip to honor West Texas World War II veterans.
Jeanne Bayless is a retired colonel from Dyess Air Force Base, a practicing dentist in Abilene, and the daughter of Dorothy Hansen. She was on hand to see off her mother and her best friend, Pearl, as they left on one of two 727 aircrafts from the Abilene Municipal Airport. “These two ladies are just fireballs,” says Bayless, referring to their vigor, even at age 90.
Bayless says, “While at one point during the trip, showers threatened, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the group. ” She says the exuberant pair returned overwhelmed at all of the sights, the relived memories, and the new friends they made during the 25-hour-long adventure. ”
Dorothy and Pearl have been friends for over 70 years, first meeting each other during their nurse’s training at St Mary’s School of Nursing in Galveston, Texas.
Dorothy graduated as an RN in 1941 and worked in Galveston while Pearl finished her nurse’s training. WW II was raging and there was a real need for nurses in the military. Dorothy decided to join the Navy Nurse Corp.
Pearl went along for the ride when Dorothy went for her enlistment physical. While there, Dorothy mentioned that Pearl had recently graduated from nursing school and was already certified by the Red Cross, a requirement for entering the service.
Pearl said she had planned to play for a while after her graduation, but instead found herself signing up for the Navy Nurse Corp and taking her physical along with Dorothy that very same day.
Below, Bayless writes of her mother’s time in the Navy during the war and her mother’s seven-decade-long friendship with Pearl.
“The two traveled from Galveston to Corpus Christi for their final physical and then boarded a train to leave Texas to go to their first duty station in San Diego. They departed on July 2, 1943. The two were stationed at San Diego Naval Hospital and were roommates.
“Besides acclimating to military life and demanding work, the two enjoyed a happy social life enjoying the sights and activities in San Diego including the world famous San Diego Zoo, the beach, and base activities.
“The pair would venture to Tijuana and took their first plane ride from San Diego to Los Angeles. Pearl has a copy of the original American Airlines ticket for $6.90. They visited Hollywood, Radio City Music Hall, and enjoyed breakfast at Sardi’s. They stayed at the Biltmore Hotel and even enjoyed the Los Angeles Officer’s Club.
“Pearl often tells about going to Tijuana, Mexico, to buy silk hose for $2. They were tired of the thick black, cotton hose they were forced to wear because of the shortage of nylon due to the war. They were happy to don the beautiful silk stockings they found in Mexico.
“Dorothy was transferred to Farragut, Idaho. There she met her future husband, Chris Hansen, of Cranfills Gap, Texas. She was one of his nurses while he was at the naval hospital to recuperate after being wounded at the invasion of Guadalcanal. They were both Texans and looked each other up after the war, and married July 21, 1946.
“Pearl stayed at San Diego and served at Coronado Naval Hospital in San Diego. She met her husband, Marine Captain Pete Gummelt at the hospital. He, like Chris Hansen, also served in the South Pacific participating in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tarawa. He was recovering from malaria in the hospital where Pearl was an RN.
“Pete ended up breaking his engagement to his hometown sweetheart. He returned to the ward at the hospital early from his leave. When Pearl questioned him why he was back so early, he told her he had come back to make her his own. They were married January 29, 1945 in San Diego.
“Today, both Dorothy and Pearl are 90 years old and have remained friends for over 70 years. Both are widows and live on their own, drive, and continue to live an adventurous life, staying busy with family, friends, church, and community.
“Pearl enjoys her service and work with hospice. She is a joy and comfort to patients and families. Dorothy volunteers weekly at Goodall Witcher Nursing Home in Clifton, Texas, where her husband resided a year before he passed away.
“It is fitting that the service, adventurous spirit, and inspiration of Dorothy and Pearl should be recognized and celebrated. Thanks to the generous donations and enthusiastic volunteers of the Honor Flight network, these two women were recognized and treated to a sentimental journey to our nation’s capital city of Washington D.C. The sights, attention, and honor they received were a gift well deserved from a grateful nation. ”
Honor Flights across the nation have transported more than 65,000 veterans like Pearl and Dorothy to Washington D.C. as a way to thank them for their service to this country.
Bayless says, “The participants really enjoyed it, but seeing all the people come out for the parade and to show appreciation was equally enjoyable. This adventure was truly a highlight of their lifetime of rich memories. ”
Hall says it was an honor to meet so many of the soldiers who served our country, “I had the privilege to meet these two remarkable women at our Pre-Flight dinner for the West Texas Honor Flight. They are exemplary members of the “Greatest Generation.”
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Dean of HSU’s School of Music Retires after 38 Years
Lawson Hager, former director of The “World Famous” Cowboy Band
ABILENE, Texas (Hardin-Simmons University)–One of Lawson Hager’s last undertakings at Hardin-Simmons University seems to bring the former director of The “World Famous” Cowboy Band full circle as he prepares to retire after 38 years of service to the HSU School of Music.
Hager graduated from HSU in 1967 taking away not only a music degree, but also a lovely coed as his bride. After earning his master of music degree from North Texas State University (UNT), he returned to Hardin-Simmons as director of bands: the Concert Band and the Cowboy Band.
During his tenure, he was also an instructor in brass and music theory, later becoming assistant dean and then dean of the School of Music in 2002.
His recent charge, which smacked of Hager’s beginnings at HSU, came quite by accident when he stopped by the band hall to ask band director, Dr. Wayne Dorothy a question. It seems the band had an invitation to perform at the Food and Wine Summit at the Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap, Texas, and Dorothy was not available to direct. So, quite simply, band members turned to the dean and former director and persuaded him to volunteer.
The event was a gourmet dinner for approximately 200 people from all over the United States who had purchased limited tickets. At the rather-reserved event were various forms of reporters from international food publications. Special guests for the evening were two internationally recognized French chefs, a father-and-daughter team.
As you might expect, the dinner had been very quiet…until the Cowboy Band burst in and turned the event a quick 180. According to Hager, “The band made a secret but loud and entertaining entrance.” The next day, publications covering the event reported the quiet evening turned into a celebration that had people dancing and singing along with the band. “The Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy Band was the hit of the evening, “says Hager with a grin, “and yes, it did bring back fond memories of performances of the band when I was the director.”
Born in Stamford, Texas, and a graduate of Abernathy High School, Hager first played with the Cowboy Band in the summer of 1962 at the Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo in Stamford. When he enrolled that fall he says he was not aware the Cowboy Band was going to Japan for a 30-day performance tour in conjunction with the Japanese New Life Movement. The entire trip took 36 days.
Hager says that while in Japan, “The band marched in parades, performed for thousands of people, and toured Japan from the southern to the northern tips of the country. One of the most memorable events of the trip is a performance, in a hall that seemed as large as the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium, where we shared the stage with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. “Hager says he was awestruck.
Hager graduated from HSU in 1967 and entered the U. S. Army for two years of active duty. From the army he went to graduate school, completing a master’s degree in December 1971.
Hager says he remembers so many special times and events during his eight years as the director of bands. “In January 1977, we represented the State of Texas at President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration. While in Washington, we performed on Good Morning America,” Hager recalls. “In June of 1979, we again represented the state at the International Lions Club held in Montreal, Canada. In one parade, which was 34 blocks long, the band performed for nearly ½ million people.
“In 1976, we played for the opening game of the Texas Rangers Baseball team. In attendance at that game was President Gerald Ford,” adding slyly, “and my first experience with the President’s Secret Service security force.”
But Hager says the events pale next to the pride he has in his students. “I get a little teary-eyed thinking of the young men and women I have had the fortune of working within the last 38 years. Each has their own story in my memory. ”
One of his students, the late Stacy Blair, was a blind trumpet player, who later found wide-spread fame for his uncanny talent. Hager names John Stewart, a young man who found direction in life after joining the band; and John Odom, who became an outstanding high school band director. “I’ve had students who are now doctors, lawyers, ministers, bankers, teachers, and have had great military careers. To my knowledge, there is not a single student who has not been successful. Some may not have stayed on the same career path for which they had prepared, but all are doing well.
“I have had the opportunity to be part of the completion of the Hemphill Music Building and the restoration of Caldwell Hall at HSU. Wow! What wonderful facilities,” he exclaims. “Woodward-Dellis Recital Hall was completed during my first year of teaching, and I had the joy to oversee the installation of a beautiful pipe organ. Dr. Jack Dean, dean of the School of Music and an organist, had designed the building for an organ. He passed away in the early 1980s, and I consider it a privilege to have made one of his dreams come true.
“I am extremely proud of the School of Music and Fine Arts faculty. Each person on this faculty teaches, mentors, and guides their students with the attitude of, ‘it’s not about me; it’s about you.’ I am also proud of the university for maintaining the belief and importance of an education enlightened by faith.”
Hager says he will miss his friends and colleagues, “But most of all, I will miss my students. When you have followed students through four or five years as they work on a degree, you become very close. After teaching as long as I have, I now have students bringing their children by to see me. Some bring their grandchildren to see me. That makes you feel like, ‘maybe I did have an influence,’ and that’s a good feeling. ”
Hager and his wife, Jane, a 1967 graduate of HSU, have three daughters, two who also graduated from the university. At events, Hager never fails to mention how Jane helps in the School of Music and has given dedicated service to HSU for 38 years.
Hager says, “There are a lot of projects in store, and I plan on learning some new things. I’ve always wanted to do some woodworking. There are a lot of great books that I want to read, and I want to travel a bit. ”
He confesses, “During my time here, I missed a lot of my children’s events. I don’t want to miss my grandchildren’s events. ”
During a recent faculty staff appreciation dinner at the Abilene Civic Center, hosted by the HSU Alumni Association, Hager was among 11 retirees who were given special recognition. His legacy…, “He will always be remembered for his love of music that has inspired countless generations of HSU students.”
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SBTC’s Smith elected Jacksonville College president
By Staff
JACKSONVILLE, Texas (Southern Baptist TEXAN)–The Jacksonville College Board of Trustees unanimously elected Mike Smith as president of the two-year Baptist school during a meeting on May 23 in Jacksonville, according to the website of the Baptist Progress, newsjournal of the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas.
Trustee chairman Ray Thompson said Smith’s employment is subject to his signing a contract, which is being finalized.
Smith, of Fort Worth, serves as the director of minister/church relations for the SBTC. He served as director of missions for the Dogwood Trails Baptist Area in Jacksonville from 1995-2008. Smith is a graduate of Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he earned doctor of education and doctor of philosophy degrees.
Jacksonville College is owned by the Baptist Missionary Association and, as an affiliated ministry of the SBTC, receives budgeted funding annually.
Thompson said Smith would begin his work at the college on Aug. 1, spending the fall semester in transition as president-elect alongside the current president, Edwin Crank. Smith would assume the duties of president the day after the BMA of Texas Annual Meeting is adjourned in Waxahachie next November. Crank would assist Smith through Dec. 31, the Progress reported.
Smith is a Butler, Ala., native. He and his wife Susan have two grown children and five grandchildren. Their son, Lance Smith, is a Jacksonville College alumnus.
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Southern Seminary BGS dean will lead IMB in theological education
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (SBTS)–“Chuck Lawless is a great man of God, a man of deep Gospel passion and a wonderful teacher,” said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary after Lawless was elected as the International Mission Board’s vice president for global theological advance, effective June 1. The IMB Board of Trustees unanimously elected Lawless in an effort to emphasize the importance of sound theology as the foundation for mission work.
Lawless served SBTS as dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism and vice president of academic programming since September 2005. Prior to his deanship, Lawless taught as a professor of church and community in the Graham School, beginning in July 1996.
“Southern Seminary loses a great leader in Chuck’s move to the IMB, but this is a great day for Southern Baptists,” Mohler said. “I am so thankful for Chuck’s service as professor and dean of the Billy Graham School. Chuck and Pam Lawless will always be honored members of the Southern Seminary family. ”
Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration at SBTS said of Lawless:
“Chuck Lawless has been the driving force at Southern Seminary for more than 15 years, keeping our focus on the Great Commission. When I think of Chuck Lawless’ legacy, there are so many things that come to mind – his investment in students, his scholarship, his administrative leadership – but I think his primary legacy has been prayer. Dr. Lawless has by example led the seminary to pray. When I think about Chuck Lawless, I think of godliness, I think of integrity, I think of prayer.
“I am thrilled about what God is doing with Chuck and Pam as they lead missionaries around to world to greater confidence in a God who answers prayer,” Moore said.
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Golden Gate Seminary Concludes Successful Fundraising Campaign
MILL VALLEY, Calif. (GGBTS)–Dr. Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, announced a successful conclusion to The PARTNERS FOR THE FUTURE campaign, a strategy to raise $13 million from 2005-2010. More than $13 million dollars were given to the campaign, divided into two phases. The Enhancement Phase sought funds for the on-going operational support of Seminary programs such as cash scholarships, strategic initiatives, and facility improvement. The Endowment Phase provided funds for the institution’s endowment in order to provide perpetual income into the future.
Iorg made the announcement at the Annual Spring Banquet held at the Northern California campus in Mill Valley. The president said “The generosity of those who stood with Golden Gate through this campaign is a testimony of their commitment to our purpose of shaping leaders who expand God’s Kingdom around the world.” During the five-year campaign, alumni and friends of the Seminary gave a total of $13, 663,000. He concluded by saying, “We have come through once-in-a-generation economic challenges with ample resources to advance and accomplish our core mission.”
Dr. Tom Jones, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, noted that one of the keys to the campaign’s success was the leadership provided by volunteers in various regions of the country. “Our campaign leadership not only gave, but encouraged and asked their friends to give as well. These alumni and friends deserve our deepest appreciation for their hard work and personal commitment. ”
The Enhancement Phase of the effort provided funds for scholarships, new faculty members, establishment of the online eCampus program, facility renovations at all five campuses, increased library holdings, and a myriad of other expenses related to the operations of the Seminary. The Endowment Phase provided funds that are now invested and the annual earnings will provide an additional $265,000 per year in perpetuity. These will help sustain the annual support of scholarships, key academic positions, and schools through endowment earnings.
Four major endowment gifts were received through the Endowment Phase of the campaign. All of these gifts were provided by donors contributing through their estate plans (simple wills, charitable remainder trusts, unitrusts, etc.).
The largest gift of the campaign came from a retired Methodist minister in Roseville, California. Charles and Barbara Waters appreciated the position of the Seminary regarding the authority of Scripture. As a mark of their trust for the school, they created a Charitable Remainder Trust that established a $1.1 million endowment for an endowed chair in Biblical Studies.
“We have seen God provide from sources we could not have imagined or predicted,” Iorg said. “Thank God for his provision through His servants!”
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary is a Cooperative Program Ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention and operates five, fully-accredited campuses in Northern California, Southern California, Pacific Northwest, Arizona, and Colorado. For more information: www.ggbts.edu.
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Criswell College announces full-tuition scholarships for children of IMB missionaries
DALLAS (Criswell College)–Full-tuition scholarships are being offered by Criswell College to children of career missionaries employed by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to an announcement May 20 by Jerry A. Johnson, president of the Dallas-based school.
“We want to partner with our missionaries by continuing the training they have given their children, providing them with a solid college education that emphasizes Scripture, theology, missions, evangelism and the Christian worldview, ” Johnson stated at the Richmond, Va., meeting where IMB trustees had gathered.
“We had been praying about a way that we might thank and encourage those who daily give so much to the Lord and his work,” Johnson said, adding that the “Great Commission initiative” will begin with the fall 2011 semester. Any children of career missionaries employed by the IMB will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to enroll in an undergraduate degree program at Criswell College. “It is also our hope that we might demonstrate to those belonging to the SBC that we are committed to the Great Commission Resurgence and will do what we can to advance this vision,” Johnson emphasized.
In addition to applying and being accepted to Criswell College, any student who wishes to receive this scholarship must provide the Criswell College business office with a letter signifying their parents’ involvement with IMB. “They will then have free reign to benefit from all Criswell College has to offer, ” said Joe Thomas, director of admissions.
IMB trustee chairman Jimmy Pritchard, who also chairs the Criswell College board and pastors First Baptist Church of Forney, Texas, said he expects the offer of a tuition-free education will benefit more than just the “missionary kids.”
“This is such a positive opportunity for everyone involved. It is positive for our missionaries in that it provides great financial relief in their kids’ education, and it is an education that is of the highest quality available anywhere. It is positive for Criswell College in that it is a service to our Lord and these MKs who come to Criswell will enhance and bless the school. I am excited about this development. ”
IMB President Tom Elliff expressed gratitude for the new initiative, stating, “It is always such an encouragement when one of our excellent Baptist institutions affirms their love and support for missions in this manner. Thank God for this decision.”
Criswell College, an accredited Christian college and graduate school in Dallas, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The leadership of the school is excited as they look forward to the next 40 years, continuing to follow founder W.A. Criswell’s vision: training men and women to make an impact on their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, Johnson said. More information can be found at www.criswell.edu.
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Youth Hostel Missions Takes University of Mobile Students to Europe, Greece, Philippines
MOBILE, Ala. (University of Mobile)–Traveling through Europe, Greece and the Philippines while building relationships and sharing their Christian faith is how 21 University of Mobile students and staff are spending three weeks this summer.
The experience is part of the Baptist-affiliated university’s Youth Hostel Missions, a program started in 2005 by campus minister Neal Ledbetter. The idea behind YHM is to expose students to a post-Christian world view that is increasingly prevalent, to encounter people on a regular basis who have not heard the gospel, and to teach students how to influence that culture with a Biblical Christian world view.
The program has expanded this year to include four student teams: two following the same tradition of previous Youth Hostel Missions trips of backpacking across Europe; one team living in villages in the Philippines and sharing their lives and their faith; and one team following the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece and Turkey.
In total, UMobile students will travel to Greece, Turkey, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France and several islands in the Philippines during the trips, which run from May 16 through June 8. Team members are writing about their experiences online at www.youthhostelmissions.com. The website also includes a training guide and resources for the Youth Hostel Missions program.
“While each trip is distinct, all continue to use the platform of travel and are highly experiential, highly missional and highly educational,” said Ledbetter, director of spiritual life.
Each team member spent 14 weeks during Spring semester in study and training, learning about cultural barriers to communication, post-Christian world views, and what it means to live missionally and in community, among other topics.
The two teams backpacking through Europe are touring major cities and building relationships with other college students from across the world, many of whom are also traveling and staying in youth hostels throughout the region.
“The common bond of being away from home and traveling from city to city regularly opens worlds of conversation with other college-age travelers,” said Ledbetter. “In the process, friendships are built and conversations typically lead to topics of life, purpose and faith.
In short, our students live life and learn what it means to have a missional mindset in an increasingly post-Christian world. ”
The Phillipines team is living in primitive conditions among villagers and holding vacation Bible school for children, sharing gospel stories with adults, and assisting local missionaries.
The Greece team is visiting sites that were part of the journeys of the Apostle Paul, studying Paul’s letters in the New Testament, and building relationships with fellow travelers.
For more information, visit the University of Mobile website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 251-442.2222 or 800-WIN-RAMS.
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Campbellsville University Professor Receives American Heart Association Award
By Elena Groholske, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (Campbellsville University)–Campbellsville University’s Dr. John Mark Carter, professor of recreation and aquatics, has been awarded the regional 2011 American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support Instructor of the Year at the American Heart Association’s Training Center at Taylor Regional Hospital Training Center.
Carter, who has taught at CU since 13 years, was among 131 instructors nominated throughout Kentucky and Indiana.
“Doc Carter has been such a positive resource for the community and the university,” Richard Phillips, American Heart Association Training Center Coordinator at Taylor Regional Hospital, said. “We’re so excited about his receiving this recognition.”
CPR, which stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions. If someone isn’t breathing or circulating blood adequately, CPR can restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Without oxygen, permanent brain damage or death can occur in less than eight minutes. CPR training is one of the training skills implemented into many classes Carter teaches.
“He has trained hundreds of students in lifesaving techniques and those students returned to various points throughout the world with newfound skill and confidence,” Jane Wheatley, chief executive officer of Taylor Regional Hospital, said. “Dr. Carter is dedicated to this community with his outreach work.” Wheatley is also a member of the CU Board of Trustees.
Phillips said, “I have personally witnessed Dr. Carter’s dedication to this community and to the educational community with his outreach work which includes many nursing students who have to understand CPR on an extremely proficient level which Dr. Carter, above the qualification of his lay person class, trained on his own so he could be a resource to CU’s School of Nursing.”
Phillips said, administratively, Carter “always keeps his records updated and in perfect order.”
Fall 2010 marked the 13th annual WHALE (Water Habits Are Learned Early) Tales organized by Carter at Campbellsville University.
WHALE Tales is a national water safety educational program, created by the Red Cross, and especially adapted by Carter as a field trip experience to the CU swimming pool, which shows the students of Taylor County and Campbellsville Elementary the importance of playing it safe when it comes to swimming.
While participating in WHALE Tales the children learn eight guidelines: be cool, follow the rule; swim with a buddy in a supervised area; look before you leap; don’t just pack it, wear your jacket; reach or throw, don’t go; think so I don’t sink; cold can kill; learn about boating before you go floating. These eight simple steps are designed to reduce the drowning of children.
These guidelines are then demonstrated live to the young students in the Campbellsville University Natatorium by CU students who are taking the course HP 340 Water Safety Instructor/Lifeguard Training.
The fall marked Carter’s 30th year with the WHALE Tales program. His diligence with this project has helped 24,000 children over the past three decades. In the 2010 year, the program reached out to over 400 Taylor County and Campbellsville students.
“There is a great importance to show these students in particular what water safety is all about due to the fact that Taylor County has such an abundance of bodies of water,” Carter said.
He is excited for the future of WHALE Tales and plans to continue the program in the years to come.
Carter is a 1966 graduate of Campbellsville High School, and he attended Campbellsville University from 1966 to 1968 and graduated with a bachelor of science from Western Kentucky University in 1970 in recreation. He has a master’s in public service from WKU and a master’s in religious education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ion Louisville. His doctorate of recreation is from Indiana University.
In addition to teaching at CU, Carter has taught at Wingate University, WKU and Indiana University.
He is married to Cindy Carter, and they have a daughter, Caroline, and granddaughter, Calleigh. He is the son of the late Dr. John M. and June Winslow Carter. Dr John M. Carter was president of Campbellsville College from 1948 to 1968.
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