Campus life blog from Union University
Despite being such an unusual year, 2020 did provide us with some wonderful moments to look back on. We hope you enjoy this set of our top 10 photos from the year. We look forward to making more memories with our Union family in 2021!
Mark Bolyard, university professor of biology, and Michael Schiebout, associate professor of biology, went out this week with about 15 students to plant nine varieties of trees around campus to celebrate Arbor Day.
These additions bring the total trees in the Union University Arboretum to about 60. Students also helped place signs beside existing trees on campus, which will help educate visitors on what is planted here. Bolyard said he looks forward to continuing this tradition for Campus and Community Day each fall and Arbor Day each spring.
The trees planted this week:
Union University has experienced an unusually snowy and cold January so far. The days off have given students and alumni in the area plenty of opportunities to get out and play in the snow. Here are a few of our favorite photos taken by our staff photographer, Kristi Woody, as well as photos submitted by students and alumni.
Below are images submitted by students and alumni in the area.
As freshmen start their first year at Union University, most live in the freshman housing of the Heritage Residence Complex. Each of the buildings in this complex is named after a prominent figure in Union’s history. Many of these men served on the university’s Board of Trustees, and most held prominent positions in other areas of Southern Baptist life. Their names on the buildings of the Heritage Residence Complex serve as reminders of the impact they had on Union and on Baptist history.
Craig – Robert Craig was president of Union University from 1967-1986. He was Union’s longest serving president and led the university in its move from downtown Jackson to its current location. He also served as president of Southwest Baptist University and East Texas Baptist University.
Dehoney –Wayne Dehoney was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson during the 1950s and 1960s, during which time he served on the Board of Trustees at Union. He also served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1965-1966.
Dodd –M. E. Dodd graduated from Union and became the pastor of First Baptist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1934-1935 and led in the development of the Cooperative Program, the major funding initiative for Southern Baptist missions and ministries.
Grey – J. D. Grey was a graduate of Union who served for many years as pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans, Louisiana. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1952-1953.
Jarman – The Jarman family was a generous benefactor of Union. They founded Genesco, a large shoe manufacturing company in Nashville, and their financial contributions helped Union relocate the campus and build the Penick Academic Complex in 1975.
Lee – R.G. Lee was the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis from 1927-1960 and was president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1949-1951. He served on the Board of Trustees of Union and is widely remembered for his sermons and books.
Paschall – H. Franklin Paschall was a graduate of Union who served as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1956-1983. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Union and as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1967-1968.
Pollard –Ramsey Pollard was pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church from 1960-1972. He served as chairman of the Board of Trustees for Union during the time that the university bought the land for the current campus. He also served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1960-1961.
Rogers – Adrian Rogers was pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church from 1972-2005 and served on the Board of Trustees at Union. He was a prominent leader in the Southern Baptist Convention’s conservative resurgence and served twice as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1979-1980 and from 1987-1988.
Sullivan – James L. Sullivan was a pastor and denominational leader who served on the Board of Trustees for Union. From 1953-1975, he served as president of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources).
Wright –Frances E. Wright was a professor of education and academic dean at Union during the 1950s and 1960s and served as the university’s president from 1963-1967. He also served as the first president of Jackson State Community College.
*Former Union Vice President Bob Agee provided much of the background information for this story.
Story by Nathan Handley, photos by Kristi Woody
Post by Will Brantley, senior enrollment counselor
A few weeks ago, we posted about our Preview Days and why they are so important. This past Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting around 100 prospective students and their families for one of three Preview Days this semester.
So what makes Preview Day such a fantastic day? Is it the hustle and bustle about campus? The excited students and their families? The really good food? The answer is “all of the above.” Students from all over the country come to see what makes Union so special. The day is packed full of activities such as a campus tour, a chapel service, student and parent panels, visits with professors and lunch with an address from our president, Dub Oliver. I personally love these days because we get to introduce students and their families to this wonderful institution and see them fall in love with this place.
Telling the Union story is one of my favorite things about being an enrollment counselor. Our faculty is one of the best teaching faculties in the entire country, using facilities that are state of the art. Our students are some of the best anywhere. They are winning awards, going on to top-notch graduate programs and participating in ministry here in Jackson and around the world. But perhaps more importantly, we are a tight-knit, close community that loves one another and seeks to honor Christ in everything we do.
Preview Days give prospective students a glimpse into what being a part of Union is really like and gives us a chance to show those students what an amazing community exists here at Union. If you’ve never been to a Union Preview Day and you or a student you know are searching for a home for college, I would urge you to check out Union’s next Preview Day on Nov. 14. You can sign up for a Preview Day on our website at www.uu.edu/campusvisits. Check out the photos below to see what you’ll experience during your visit!
Union Life 