Visitors to the State Fair of Texas this month will find it hard to miss Big Tex, the 55-foot-tall cowboy who has stood sentinel over the nation’s largest state fair since 1952. Millions of fairgoers each year experience his towering presence, friendly wave and iconic “Howdy” greeting. His legacy, however, is … Continued
A framed photo of the late Dr. John Willis (’55) and his wife, Evelyn (Forrest ’56), graces the fireplace mantel at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store on Highway 351, a testament to the power of a shared meal. Willis, a beloved Bible professor at ACU for 46 years, was well acquainted with … Continued
James Lewis Segrest (’59), a Texas high school track and field legend and the last surviving member of world record-setting Abilene Christian University relay teams of the mid-1950s, died Aug. 5, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas, at age 86. Friends and family remembered him in a memorial service Aug. 12 in Granbury, Texas. Segrest … Continued
Former longtime ACU trustee Don Clifford Rhoden (’58) died Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, in Tuscola, Texas, at age 87. A time of visitation will be held Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, at 5 p.m. at Piersall Funeral Directors (733 Butternut St., Abilene, Texas 79602), followed by a time of remembrance at 6 p.m. Rhoden was born … Continued
A group of ACU students took their soccer skills and a desire to love their neighbors to Poland this summer to conduct a soccer camp for Ukrainian refugee children who have resettled there. The 12 students, all Lynay scholars at ACU, traveled June 4-15 to Warsaw, where they partnered with Abilene-based Play4More Soccer … Continued
This spring more than a hundred students submitted films for the 19th FilmFest Gala at the historic Paramount Theatre: FilmFest Flashback. The event featured short films in a variety of genres including western, scifi, thriller, rom-com and documentary with awards given out in 14 categories. Because of a shift in scheduling in 2008 that … Continued
A typical weekend for a professor may include spending time with family or going on vacation. But for Larry Henderson, director of ACU’s WorldWide Witness program, it might also include jumping out of an airplane 10,000 feet in the air. In his office, accolades and photos of family, skydiving and travel adventure serve as a … Continued
What started as a summer soccer camp to engage Abilene’s refugee children has expanded into a global effort providing free soccer balls to underprivileged children across the world, and will partner this summer with Bob Goff’s Love Does organization to offer a soccer camp for Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Drs. Jason (’96) … Continued
Virginia “Ginna” Joyce Gufstafson Sadler (’70), professor emeritus of art and design at Abilene Christian University, died March 12, 2023, in Abilene, Texas, at age 74. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. March 25 in the Ministry Activity Center at University Church of Christ (733 E.N. 16th St., Abilene, Texas 79601). … Continued