STETSON-LETTER
VOL. 7, NO. 3
STETSON UNIVERSITY, DeLAND, FLORIDA
MARCH, 1959
WILLIAM THOMAS RICE
President
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
THEODORE FLOYD ADAMS
President
Baptist World Alliance
HARVEY S. FIRESTONE JR.
Chairman
Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.
SPEAKERS FOR STETSON COMMENCEMENT
Three distinguished men, two highly successful in the field of
business and industry and the third equally well-known in religious
affairs, will speak at Stetson commencement exercises this spring.
They are:
Theodore Floyd Adams, president of the Baptist World Alliance
and pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., who will
deliver the sermon at the baccalaureate service at 8 a.m. Sunday,
May 31, in the Forest of Arden.
William Thomas Rice, president of the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad Company, who will deliver the address at gradual ion
exercises at 6:30 p.m. the same day in the Forest of Arden.
Flarvey S. Firestone Jr., chairman of Firestone Tire and Rubber
Company, who will deliver the address at the graduation exercises
at the College of Law. This event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday.
May 29, in the Auditorium of the Charles A. Dana Library
Building.
The Commencement Concert of the School of Music will be
held at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 30, in Elizabeth Hall Auditorium.
The President's Reception is an event planned for 3 to 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 31, in the Stetson Union.
Dr. Adams, widely known as a lecturer on marriage and the
home and on pastoral problems, has had a distinguished career
as a pastor, serving the First Baptist Church of Richmond since
1936. Previously he was at churches in Toledo and Cleveland.
Born in Palmyra, N. Y., Dr. Adams was educated in the public
schools at McMinnvillc. Oregon; Lebanon. Indiana, and Hammond,
Indiana. He received the bachelor of arts degree from Denison
University in Granville. Ohio, and the bachelor of divinity degree
from Rochester Theological Seminary. He has doctor of divinity
degrees from the University of Richmond, Denison University, the
College of William and Mary, Baylor University, and Washington
and Lee University.
His daily radiocast in Richmond is entitled "Friendly Fellowship" and his winter-months telecast is called "Pastor's Study." He
has contributed writings to many publications and is the author
of two books, "Making Your Marriage Succeed" and "Making the
Most of What Life Brings."
Dr. Adams has been active in denominational organizations in
Ohio and Virginia as well as the entire Southland. He is a trustee
of Church Peace Union, University of Richmond, Virginia Union
University, and the Richmond Memorial Hospital.
He is a member of the Rotary, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Theta Pi,
Phi Mu Alpha, and Omicron Delta Kappa. He is married to the
former Esther J. Jillson and they have three children.
Mr. Rice has been president of the ACL since August, 1957.
The company broke ground in October, 1958, for a new office
building in Jacksonville and when construction is completed he
will move to Florida.
Born in Hague (Westmoreland County) Virginia, he attended
public schools in that area and enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute where he received the bachelor of science degree in civil
engineering in 1934.
In the next eight years, he served in various capacities with the
Pennsylvania Railroad. Called to active duty in the Army in 1942.
he served in the European and Asian Theatres during World War
If. attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. Among his assignments
was command of a portion of the Iranian State Railway.
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