Modern Pioneers: The Legacy of Dr. F.W. Mattox

[applause]
F.W. Mattox: I don't feel at home anywhere in the world like I do
standing right here.
I dreamed of this sort of...
Dr. Scott McDowell: He's still dreaming, that was good.
It was 1956, there was a drought in West Texas,
not all that unusual,
but there were a group of people that realized
there were things that were more important
than a thirst for water.
There's a deep thirst of the soul for things that matter.
And I love those quotes, we've got two of them
that we pulled from that Mattox quote.
One is that last one, "Each person counting,"
and I hope that you will in fact count.
We walk by that statue,
and you may not even realize who that is,
it's right out front,
but that was this university's first president.
He was a visionary in fact.
And I love this quote about what he said about the people.
Next quote.
President of Peabody University said,
"When a college president selects his faculty,
"he's done 90% of all that he will ever be able to do
"to influence that institution."
And with that thought in mind,
I hired faculty very carefully,
wanting the most wonderful Christians
who are academically prepared.
At the end of the day, it comes down to the people.
And one of the people that has been here
from almost the very beginning is Doc Williams.
He has served under all seven presidents
and is just a remarkable treasure.
I get to meet with Doc every couple of weeks.
We have coffee and he tells me the stories.
So let's welcome Doc to the stage
to give us a little bit more about Mattox Day.
Doc Williams: I am truly honored to be able to present
these thoughts this morning
because this man impacted my life.
And I want to introduce him to you
because you walk by and you see a still figure of him.
When I walk by, I see him moving on campus.
I see him generally dressed very nicely
except that he's rolled up his sleeves.
He takes his coat off,
puts it on the handle of the shovel,
leaves it there, then he forgets about it,
knocks it off, and it's a little dirty.
But that was our president.
And that man truly was a great influence on my life.
In fact, while I was here,
I made the decision that I wanted to come here
to go to college.
And I wanted to come back here to teach.
And that blessing was fulfilled in my life.
And I can't tell you how great these 55 years have been.
My relationship with Dr. Mattox evolved
from a student to a colleague.
I was a student here in 1960 to '62.
And then I came back in 1969.
My mentor at Tech, Dr. Larson,
told me he understood they had an opening at LCC
and that I should go apply for it in the speech department.
And when I went in, I thought,
I hope Dr. Mattox does not remember the time he broke up.
Let's say we were watering the area
where the education building is now.
The athletes versus the other dorms.
We had used water balloons.
And then I discovered, oh, I shouldn't have said that,
someone found the fire hose.
And I was up on top of the cafeteria
spraying all the athletes with water
from a real height advantage.
Dr. Mattox showed up and he said,
"Gentlemen, don't you think we've wasted enough water
"tonight?"
And of course we were frightened.
We figured we might be going to the dean's office,
other things.
He said, "Okay, let's get busy and go back to our studies."
And we all cleared out.
But that impacted me that he was patient with us,
that he cared about us.
And so I want this morning for us to look at
and see some key things about the area.
(mouse clicking)
You better click it for me.
(audience laughing)
I want you to look, when the campus opened,
the Arnett House was the administration building.
And during that first year,
they had all of the students sit on the porch
and have their pictures taken.
And you can see, if you wish,
you can go into the ad building.
Could we go to the next slide?
We could go, you can go into the administration building
and in that front foyer,
you can see close-ups of those people.
It's very interesting to look at them
because Dr. Mattox referred to them as modern pioneers.
And sometimes when you guys sing the school song,
don't forget those words
because Dr. Mattox ingrained those on us,
that we were pioneers and we were looking
not just at the present, but to the future.
When you look at the ad building,
I see a classroom building,
the first permanent building on campus.
It was there when I came along with Katie Rogers in 1960.
And those were the two permanent buildings.
And I want you to be aware when you walk this campus
that you are witnessing the fulfillment
of Dr. Matt ox's dream
from 1956 and 1957.
Could we go to the next slide?
This is what the campus looked like.
You will note Katie Rogers is not on there,
but what I want you to see and to think about
is the fact of all the space around us.
Even when I came here in 1960,
there was nothing out here but Lubbock Christian.
If you went over to Frankford,
on the corner of 19th and Frankford,
on our side of Frankford,
there was a Chevron station.
If you crossed the street,
there was Treasure,
well, Treasure Island Golf Course.
It actually had a little train that also ran
where you could sit close to a young lady
that you were wishing to sit close to.
I know none of you think about that.
We did in 1960.
I want you to note also on this picture
where the administration building is
and where the rest of the campus is.
It's as though there was a dream
that this mall would be here
because basically the mall we have
is all that empty space between the ad building
and the cafeteria and our dorms.
The distance there, the chorus,
which during my time,
about 50% of the student body was in one or two choruses.
Meisters was created my freshman year,
and we had the a cappella,
and we were in the top floor
of the administration building.
We met at noon,
and when class was over,
it was a mad rush to get from the ad building
75 yards to get to the cafeteria.
Now, folks, we stayed in shape
because of the distances that we got to travel,
and we also had some interesting fun
because if you didn't get there,
you got the leftovers.
And so there was a reason to hustle
to get to the cafeteria.
Now, will you go to the next slide, please?
I want to remind you that his vision,
his dedication to the dream,
his constant encouragement,
you could never meet him when he was negative.
He was always positive.
He was positive to students.
His faith in our future
created in all of us,
both faculty and student,
a desire to be a part of building the dream.
You know, I look back,
he brought us into the dream
so that we could share in breathing life
into that dream.
What I admired most about this man
was his ability to listen.
You know, that's a gift that some people don't have,
but he did.
He listened to the students.
He listened to the faculty.
He listened to the staff.
He believed, and I quote him on this,
that a strong institution
is built on the voices of its people.
President Mattox provided a larger-than-life example
of a leader.
He was seen working on projects.
He was seen improving the campus.
You would see him digging or working on a project,
but I was most impressed by the way
he continually reminded us
that we are here to learn,
and that's our goal,
and he would tell us at the end of each speech in chapel,
"Let's be about our work."
That was a favorite expression of his.
Could we go to the next slide, please?
I think the only way for you to really know this man
is to hear his words.
I picked from the yearbook of 1958
this statement that he had placed
as a letter in the yearbook.
I want you to hear what he says.
"To the students of the first freshman class
of Lubbock Christian College,
true modern pioneers,
I say thank you and God bless you.
Through all of our problems of adjustment,
through the mud,
the inconveniences of unfinished buildings,
and labs,
you responded with cheerfulness,
loyalty, and understanding.
As Nehemiah of old built the walls of Jerusalem
because the people had a mind to work.
You students have been eager to share with the faculty
the building of Lubbock Christian College
into a first-class junior college with plus factors.
We look forward to next year
when we shall have new facilities and more people.
Yet we will always look back,"
and I want you to hear this,
"we will always look back with satisfaction
and some degree of yearning to these days of struggle
and the glow of satisfaction
which came with achieving through difficulties.
It is this spirit which makes you great
and it will be this spirit which will lead you
into places of leadership.
May you ever continue to pioneer as you work
to make lasting contributions to your generation."
In 1959, he wrote a similar statement in the yearbook.
He said, "To all modern pioneers of LCC,
the spirit of true modern pioneer
is well expressed in the scripture,
'Lift up your heads and look.'"
To us, this means that we see the opportunities
and accept the challenges of our generation.
To those who leave LCC as its first class
to enter other colleges for more advanced training,
we urge the continuation of this spirit of research
and dedication to excellence.
We owe you a great degree of gratitude that is beyond words.
You have set high standards
which will challenge oncoming classes to excel.
Your Christian ideals and dedication
to the noble and pure have begun traditions
which we will work to pass on to each class.
For all of this, we are deeply grateful.
Remember LCC.
Give her the benefits of your advice
as you advance in wisdom and experience.
Help correct her weaknesses and support her needs,
for she will always remember you.
In 1961, he wrote to the students,
"During the year, LCC has called upon you
to do your very best in making preparation
to meet life's challenges.
Never has the world cried out for leadership
as it does today.
The opportunities are unlimited."
Now, these were challenges that he gave to us as students.
That last one was when I was a freshman.
If we could go to the next slide, please.
In my opinion, the highlight of Dr. Mattox's achievements
was his ability to bring excellent faculty
to join him in creating a college in the middle--
literally in the middle of a cotton field,
inspiring administrators and faculty to see the dream,
and encouraging them to hold on to the dream
during difficult times.
In response-- because we had some pretty tough times
financially--
but his response to both students and faculty concerning
financial problems, he would say, don't worry.
The Lord may return, and that will remove the issue.
And that's what he would tell us on a pretty regular basis.
If we could go to the next slide.
President Mattox believed deeply in the transformative power
of Christian higher education.
Especially, he always emphasized,
as you heard from his notes, that every student
has the potential to shape the future.
And I think as you go to class, as you study,
you need to always hold on to that fact
that every student has that potential.
He wrote, students at LCC are delving into the past
and analyzing the present that they might project the future.
The world is crying for leadership.
And we, who have the solution through our spiritual
philosophy of life, must share this faith
and lead the world to new horizons of understanding.
He closed with this thought.
I urge you, as students, to continue your pioneering
through advanced training.
Let's go to the next slide, please.
This is a picture of the annual of 1959.
The students dedicated this annual to him.
And I want to read to you the testimony of the students
about this man.
El Explorador, 1959, is dedicated
to Dr. F.W. Mattox, a typical president,
working spiritually and physically
for the betterment of Lubbock Christian College.
He can be seen working quietly in his office,
taking part in daily devotionals in chapel,
or even on the campus doing odd jobs,
such as constructing sidewalks or repairing dormitories.
Because of Dr. Mattox's zealous character and ability
to see a great future for Lubbock Christian College,
we dedicate this book to him.
So I want you to sense the idea of legacy.
It was recognized by the students.
President Mattox understood that he was only one part
of the college's history.
And that is why he always reminded people,
hold on to the dream.
And you note in that film, he says, don't you lose it.
I took that very personal.
That if I fail, I'm not fulfilling that dream.
And that was a sense of responsibility on my part.
A statement he wrote in the first yearbook
presents a lasting impression.
I, because of my faith in you, believe
the future is in good hands.
To the students of the first freshman class of LCC,
true modern pioneers, I say thank you and God bless.
The golden values of life, he wrote,
are poured out upon those who cooperate
with the purposes of God.
Plan your area of exploration.
Set your goal high.
Believe in its attainment.
And not only will your faith be rewarded,
but you may open new areas of blessings to the human race.
I, because of my faith in you, believe
the future is in good hands.
Today, you're going to have a meal that sustained me
when I was a student.
Our favorite meal in Harris Hall when we went to the cafeteria
was biscuits and gravy.
As my dad had said, it's hard to mess up breakfast.
And that's the way we viewed it.
Those biscuits and gravy were fantastic.
So I want you to remember we, you and myself,
have the responsibility to continue as modern pioneers
to explore.
So this morning, let's be about our work.
Have a good day.
: [APPLAUSE]
(applause)