Each of the Harbers were presented today with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of the leadership they have demonstrated through lives of selfless service to others.
A citation from ACU’s Board of Trustees reads, in part:
“In the name of Jesus they have given freely of their time and resources to worthy causes in which they believe. In particular, their gifts accumulated over a lifetime to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital are without parallel. Born in Abilene to a family of modest means, Lacy was for several years a grateful recipient of the hospital’s characteristic grace: free medical care and bus fare to travel with his mother to Dallas for treatments. He overcame the health issues of his youth and later remembered Scottish Rite with his and Dorothy’s landmark philanthropy.”
Recipients of the Harbers’ generosity have included Texoma Medical Center, Wilson N. Jones Medical Center, the Salvation Army, Opportunity Village, and ACU, where an estate gift from the couple will benefit the College of Biblical Studies.
The Harbers, who live in Denison, Texas, received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2014, joining six former U.S. presidents and Nobel Prize laureates among previous winners.
ACU has awarded more than 80 honorary doctorates since 1940, with previous recipients including Tom Landry, Charlton Heston, Dr. James Dobson, Sen. John Cornyn, Byron Nelson and other leaders representing professionals in ministry, business, education, government, law and health, among others.
Kent Brantly, M.D. (’03), director of medical missions for Samaritan’s Purse and one of the Ebola fighters recently named TIME magazine Person of the Year, will receive an honorary doctorate from ACU on Aug. 24 when he also is the featured speaker at Opening Assembly on the first day of the 2015-16 school year.