Stetson Cupola 1979-8-1

VOL. 8 NO. 1 (USPS 990-560) STETSON UNIVERSITY, DELAND, FLORIDA July 1979 By Pope A. Duncan For many people, a college catalog qualifies along with the dictionary as highest on the list of dull reading material. But to a college President, that is a very erroneous understanding. The Stetson University Catalog for 1979-80 has just come to my desk, and I found myself reading it from cover to cover. True, this is a part of my duty reading, but it is much more than that. Between the covers of this catalog are some of the most fascinating and important topics available, if read with discernment. Not only so, but Dr. Brad Crain of the English Department has helped to put it together in such a fashion that the topics follow in logical order and the style is'not uniformly dull. In the Catalog one can learn something about the exciting history of the University as well as its splendid purpose. There are fascinating notes about the campus and the resources which the University possesses. There are also those very practical matters which deal with admissions, student life and academic quality. To a college President, even a listing of courses is fascinating. I did not know that there was such a thing as "cryptogamic botany" until I read the fact that we have a course by that topic. ^^ on page, Alumni Gifts Total '558,398 Gifts and Grants Top $2 Million Mark Private gifts and grants to Stetson topped $2 million during the past fiscal year setting records in both unrestricted and alumni giving, according to an announcement by President Pope A. Duncan. Citing the leadership efforts of Doyle E. Carlton, Jr., chairman of ALUMNI GIFTS TOP $500,000 - Stetson's alumni gave a record of $551,398 in the fiscal year 1978-79 to lead the way to the $2,015,831 in total gifts and grants to the university in the period. President Duncan (r) was joined by Jack Fortes, annual fund executive director, and H. Douglas Lee, vice president for development, in helping Marie Dawson, president of the DeLand State Bank and Trust put the alumni money in the safe. the trustee development committee and Mark C. Hollis, also a trustee and campaign chairman of the Alumni Annual Fund drive, Dr. Duncan stated the final $2,015,831 was the largest one-year total received in this decade. "This past year marks the first time in Stetson's history that gifts and grants to the unrestricted operating fund have exceeded $1.5 million," Dr. Duncan stated. "The total unrestricted receipts of $1,541,737, represented a $700,000 increase over the previous year. "Doug Lee, our vice president for development, has done an exceptional job since joining us last summer," Dr. Duncan stated. "His leadership on campus and support of our volunteer leadership such as Mr. Carlton and Mr. Hollis, have resulted in the banner year." Alumni contributions totaled a record $551,398, and gifts from the Florida Baptist Convention and other friends of the university also increased substantially over previous years, leading the way for the record year, according to Dr. Duncan. Calendar Reminder:\ Stetson Homecoming Feb. 8-9,1980 Survival of Christian Education Depends on Christian Support Survival of Christian educational institutions is dependent on support from Christians, Pope A. Duncan stated in a major address to Baptist educators in Galveston. "Educating for a Christian witness demands strong support from those who are Christian. An institutional witness cannot be significant nor can it survive without this strong support," Dr. Duncan said. "It means nothing to say that a college is Christian if little of its support fs coming from those who are providing it both because they are Christian and because they want to see this kind of institution existing. Today, this may be the most critical factor in the necessary chain which holds together the Christian college or university." The address was at a plenary session of the National Conference on Bold Christian Education sponsored by the Education continued on page 2 SBC PRESIDENT - Adrian Rogers, '54, newly-elected president of the 13.2 million member Southern Baptist Convention, was joined by his wife, the former Joyce Louise Gentry, during his first news conference as head of the nation's largest protestant denomination. Rogers was elected on the first ballot during the annual sessions of the SBC held in Houston last month.