Above Photo: J. D. Sandefer Junior (left), of Breckenridge, Texas, president of the Hardin-Simmons trustees, formally installed Doctor W. R. White (right) as the seventh president of Hardin-Simmons University at Abilene, Texas. The two men are standing facing each other, wearing cap and gowns. Behind them, at left, is a staircase. Mr. Sandefer Junior is the son of the late Doctor J. D. Sandefer, who was president of the university for 31 years.
Photo credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. Hardin-Simmons University presidential inauguration. (1941). Retrieved from https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery-beta/img/20038980
We strongly believe HSU should re-examine the founding documents which gave birth to HSU.
All decisions by the Trustees should answer the question, “How are we being faithful to the historical values which are the foundation of this university?”
As a university, we should fully commit to the motto of an “education enlightened by faith.” It seems like gutting the Bible program and doing away with ministerial training is a definite step backward for the university.
HSU should prioritize former president Jesse Fletcher’s assertion that an education best serves students when they are taught how to think rather than what to think.