The Howard Payne University Yellow Jacket (Brownwood, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 18, Ed. 1, Friday, February 8, 1980 Page: 1 of 4

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TIEILILCW JACKET
Volume 67
Number 18 February 8 1980
The Howard Payne University
After 9-month search
Phelps named
Dr. Ralph A. Phelps Jr.
long-time Southern Baptist
educator has been named
president of Howard Payne
University.
W. Gene Porter president of
the HPU Board of Trustees
said Phelps is expected to
assume his position as the
Baptist insitiution's 16th chief
executive March 1.
Porter's announcement
followed a meeting of the Board
Tuesday morning.
Phelps who served as
president of Ouachita Baptist
University for 16 years holds A.
B. and M A degrees from
Baylor University and Th.M.
and Ph. I) decrees from South-
western Baptist Theological
Seminary (SWBTS) and has
one further sutdy at Yale
Harvard Southern Methodist
University and the University of
Wisconsin.
The naming of Phelps as
president of HPU marked the
culmination of some nine
months work by the Board's
presidential search committee.
They conducted a nation-wide
search and considered more
than fifty individuals. The
special committee was headed
An exclusive Yellow Jacket interview
ByMedeNlx
Editor
"The one reason ad-
ministration and faculty are
there is because the school
exists for the students" says
Dr. Ralph Phelps the newly-
elected president of Howard
Payne University who was
interviewed exclusively by the
Yellow Jacket Friday.
Seated behind his desk
covered with plans for a new
convention center in Kentucky
in his small but functional of-
fice the 58-year old vice-
president of Leisure and
Recreation Concepts Inc. in
Dallas related his goals for
himself as president and for
Howard Payne.
Dr. Phelps sees his role as
president as a person who is
' t here to get the tools and other
resources necessary to serve
the students. If we don't meet
their needs we're giving them
only half a loaf.
"The president has to be like
the daddy on 'Eight is Enough.'
He has to love all his children
but take care of needs that have
to be met right then. He can't
neglect any program."
by Warren Duren banker
Goldthwaite.
Phelps succeeds Dr. Roger L.
Brooks who resigned as HPU
president last May to become
vice-president of graduate
studies at Houston Baptist
University
Dr. Charles A. Stewart has
been serving as executive vice
president and chief operating
officer at HPU unitl a
replacement could be found.
"All of us appreciate the work
of Mr. Duren and his com-
mittee" Porter said "in fin-
ding Dr. Ralph A. Phelps Jr. of
Dallas who had proben himself
as an educator administrator
business executive writer and
churchman."
As an educator and ad-
ministrator Phelps served as
president of Ouachita Baptist
University Arkadelphia
Arkansas from 1953 to 1969
when he resigned and was
named president emeritus.
In 1967-68 while on sabbatical
leave from Ouachita he served
as Southeast Regional Director
of the Office of Economic
Opportunity based in Atlanta
Georgia. He directed work in
six states and administered a
New president talks
He says the most pressing
need for Howard Payne right
now is a student center. "You
need a student center in the
worst way. It is a number one
need and priority-it will help
them (students) to grow
socially."
Another goal of his is to have
the administration offices
centrally located. Right now
administration offices are in
four different buildings on
campus.
A third goal is raise faculty
salaries to a "decent level. I
also want to dress up the
general appearance of the
place the buildings and
grounds. We can do wonders
without having to spend a
fortune. Howard Payne needs to
create a good impression. Many
people never see it more than
one time" he explains.
The president of Ouachita
Baptist University from 1953-
1959 saw 20 buildings go up
during his tenure there many of
which he supervised as job
foreman and he wants to finish
the Institute of Christianity
buildings here. "We ought to get
on with it." He says that one
possible way of raising the
budget of $180000000.
Phelps has also served as vice
president for development at
Mercer University vice
president at Dallas Baptist
College and has taught at
SWBTS.
As a business executive
Phelps was vice president and
Dr. Ralph A. Phclp
former president
a
of
was
Ouachita Baptist
named president of Howard
Payne Tuesday by the HP
Board of Trustees.
money to build is to obtain a
challenge gift which would
require HP to raise the same
amount of money as the gift.
Another need he sees is for all
dormitory students to be housed
on the main campus.
"Something needs to be done. A
lot of time is wasted going
between downtown and the
campus" Dr. Phelps says.
A strong sports supporter
while at Ouachita he guided the
athletic program at OBU from
the doormat of the Arkansas
Athletic Conference to con-
ference titles in football
basketball baseball and track
and developed a winning
women's sports program before
it was fashionable to do so. He
says "The sports program has
to be fitted into perspective
however. That's not what you go
to school for."
He promises to look into the
termination of the speech and
hearing therapy program and
thinks students should serve on
faculty committees. Student
members would be appointed
by the Student Association
president.
Other student concerns he
discussed were conduct and
ft v s
president
trust officer of Worthen Bank in
Little Rock and is currently vice
president of Leisure and
Recreation Concepts Inc.
(LARC) an architectural
design firm in Dallas where he
directs operations and
marketing until March 1.
Phelps has had two books
published Tangled Threads and
Blue Print for Tomorrow and
has contributed chapter to
several other books. Hs has had
articles published in a number
of scholarly and religious
journals and has written a
hunting and fishing column
"Outdoors with Doc." which
was published in Arkansas
newspapers.
The new HPU president has
served as pastor of five Baptist
congregations and interim
pastor of several churches in
Texas and Arkansas. He has
led Bible studies conducted
revivals and has served on
various denominational com-
mittees and commissions. . .
Phelps has spoken to the
Southern Baptish Convention
twice and to many state con-
ventions including Arkansas
Georgia Louisiana California
and New Mexico.
of his roie goals
complaints. He views the school
as a community and says rules
of conduct should be made by
the students. "No group of
students is above the rules" he
noted. As for complaints he
says "If it's legitimate I'll
hear it."
When asked whether he would
require administration factulty
and staff to sign the Baptist
Faith and Message like new
Dallas Baptist College
president Marvin Watson has
Dr. Ralph Phelps center is interviewed by media
representatives Tuesday afternoon in Veda Hodge Hall.
Warren Durron left head of the presidential search
committee and Gene Porter right president of the HP
Board of Trustees are seated with him.
Listed in Who's Who in
America and Who's Who in
American Education he was
named "Arkansas Man of the
Year in 1960.
He is married to the former
Helen Kennedy of Dallas. The
couple has two children James
29 and Debbie 26.
Members of the presidential
search committee included:
Porter; Duren; J. Waddy
Bullion Dallas attorney; Rev.
Ed Garrett Burleson; Rev.
Dwayne Martin Texas City;
Rev. Doyle Sumrall Jr. De
Soto; Rev. George Harris San
Antonio; Bob Ross Brownwood
businessman; Rev. Bobby
Eklund Hurst; Dr. Maple
Avery Conroe physician; and
Richard Sharpe Brownwood
banker
In addition to the an-
nouncement Porter thanked
Stewart for his leadership
abilities and for the great
cooperation and understanding
from HPU faculty and staff
members while Duren's
committee was searching from
HPU faculty and staff members
while Duren's committee was
searching for the new president.
required of employees Dr.
Phelps replied "Heavens no! I
wouldn't practice that ap-
proach. The faculty will be
encouraged to find a middle-of-the-road
healthy Christian
stance."
He agreed to come to Howard
Payne because he wanted to
"be out of the rat rate. Howard
Payne has a lot going for it.
What they're doing is good but
we can do better."