Lambuth College - Lantern Yearbook (Jackson, TN)

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Upon his arrival at the Lambuth campus, President Wilder set out to expand the physical plant and aca- demic foundation of the college. For the physical plant, Dr. Wilder is re- sponsible for the construction of West Hall, the Hyde Science Building, the College Union, and the Athletic Cen- ter. Whereas, for the academic foun- dation, he increased faculty and sup- porting staff size, enlarged the re- sources of the Luther L. Gobbel Li- brary, and added a number of new courses and majors to the school ' s curriculum. Also, under his auspices, the new Lambuth Theatre, the Learn- ing Enrichment Center, and the Inte- rior Design house were established. Enhancing the quality of higher education and instituting relevant academic programs at the private church-related school have been the two major themes of President Wilder ' s tenure as chief executive. We have taken the lead in introduc- ing career-oriented programs in a lib- eral arts environment, he said with a hint of pride. We are public in as much as we serve public needs, he added in reference to such programs as computer science and interior de- sign, all co-existing with such tradi- tional disciplines as English, psychol- ogy, history, and religion. As far as Lambuth ' s future is con- cerned, President Wilder said, We are either going forward or back- wards; you can ' t stand still. He is • optimistic about the institution, de- i spite the current squeeze on small lib- teral arts colleges. God will provide a way, he assured.

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The Growth Of A College (Continued) changes which helped Lambuth Col- lege to expand and to gain a wider scope of education and to gain more students. The B.A. was the only de- gree offered at the time, but soon to be added was the B.S. The addition of this degree itself caused an expansion in the entire educational program, in- cluding the business department. One of the most important programs he initiated was the summer session. After advanced graduate study, Dr. James S. Wilder, Jr. assumed the pas- torates of churches in Gatlinburg, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennes- see, declining offers for teaching posi- tions at Duke University and at St. Paul ' s School of Theology. However, in 1962 when a call came from the Lambuth College Board of Trustees, he accepted the offe r to enter the field of education. Campus Scenes — ABOVE — AOPi has a pledge swap with Kappa Sigma. CLOCK- WISE — Kaleidoscope performs in the Colonial Room; Students practice for intra- murals; the Christmas Candelight service held in the chapel; and Lambuth in Au- tumn.

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Commencement 1979 Spring Showers Force Activities Indoors The ' 79 graduating class began the last day at Lambuth College on May 20 with a Baccalaureate Service in the chapel. The Baccalaureate speaker was L. Scott Allen, resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. He served as pastor of several Georgia churches from 1938- 56, was an instructor in philosophy and religion at Clark College in 1956, and was editor of the Central Christian Ad- vocate in New Orleans before his conse- cration as a bishop of the Methodist Church in 1967. He was bishop of the Gulf Coast Area in Mississippi, and the Holston Area in Tennessee before his present assignment in North Carolina. Dr. Wilder gave the benediction. At 2:00 p.m. a President ' s Reception was held in the College Union for the graduates, their families, and friends. The graduation activities ended with the commencement service at 5:30 p.m. in the Lambuth College gymnasium. The commencement ceremony was scheduled to take place on the front lawn of Spangler Hall; however, rain throughout most of the day forced the move to the Athletic Center at the last minute. The invocation was presented by The Rever- end Wood K. Whetstone, who served as Dean of Student Services at Lambuth College. Dr. Winfred L. Goodwin, president of the Southern Regional Education Board, was commencement speaker. An in- structor in sociology and anthropology at North Carolina, he was a research as- sociate with the University of North Carolina ' s Institute for Research in So- cial Science and was survey director of the Jefferson (Alabama) Coordinating Council. In 1953 he joined the Southern Regional Education Board to direct ef- forts to strengthen professional pro- grams in southern colleges and universi- ties. Dr. Walter H. Whybrew, Executive Vice President and Dean of the College, presented the degrees and recognized the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1929. A closing prayer and benediction were giv- en by Bishop L. Scott Allen. Linda Piper. 16 III