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. ., Dr. W. B., West, Jr. ► - of Me!9P'Ms, Tenn., has been named the~fifth recipient of the Alurg~ 'Citation award for the .197f,-J't;school year by the board of -directo rs of the Abilene Christfan .~ University Alumni A~ 1i~ on. · · Citation awards are aiven by the board each year to six outstandi.ng university aJumni. Dr. West will be formally hon ored by the Memphis alumni chapte r sometime in Jate winter or early spring. . Dr. West is dean emeri tus and professor of New T estament at Harding Graduate School of Reli– gion in Memphis. The Decherd, Te nn., native is a 1915 graduate of Franklin County High School and a 1934 graduate of ACU with a bachelor's degree in Bible. Or. West received the masteT's degree in 1936 and the Th_D. in 1943, both in New Testament from the ·u niversity of · Sou them CaJifomia. He has also attended David Lips<;omb Collc::ge , the University of Chicago, Mo– Connick T heological Seminary and Garrett Theological Seminary, and in 1948 and 1974 he did post– doctoral work at Ox ford and Cambndi e universities in England. He has llso made several study trips to Israel, Greece. Egypt and Italy. Dr. West joined the faculty at Pepperdine University as a part– time teacher in 1938 and from l941-l95 l was the head of the Bible departmen t While there he established the first graduate pro– gram qffered in brotherhood college , in Bible in 1944. ln 195 I he became chainnan of the ·Bible departrnen t at Harding College in Searcy \ _Ark. , serving un til I960. Here la'SO. he established , the school's firs t graduate program, in Bible in 1952 . .Wheri the Ha rdi ng Graduate School o f R eligion . moved to Memph.s in 1958, Dr. West went •With it ,s dean. Though in 1972 he retired :is dean and was named dean emeritus.,· he still teaches· New Testam1nt in the school. Dr. West is a membe r of several professional · organizations, u,clu– ding the National Association of Bible In~tructors, National Associa– tion of Professors of Hebrew, Evangelical Theological Society, American Academy of Religion and the Soae ry of 13iblicaJ Lite rature. He ptl:!aches for the Antioch and Oak GfovC, Miss., Churches of Ch rist and is a regular guest .speaker for goswl meetings. Currently he •s writing 1 commen tary on , Revela- tion. · Dom \Ian. 24. 1907, in Dechard, he marr~d Velma Ruth Williams o f Sparta, tenn ., on March 24, 1928, in Nashv.ille, T~nn. Mn.. West, too , has dedicated her lire to education, having taught Greek for 30 years. Fo r 14 yea r.; she was the only Greek teacher at Harding Graduate School of Religion. They have one daughter, Patricia Ann (Mrs. Charles Parke r) of NashviJle_ ..W.hen Dr. West first established the graduate school in 19S2, we had only 36 students, and we could only offer one maste r's degree. Since then we've grown to 263 studen ts in the faU of 1976, aod we now offer three mas te r's programs and will be the first brothethood school to offer a fou r-year Docto r of Ministry degree," said Bill F latt, registrar and assistant to th,: dean of Harding Graduate Sch, ol of Religion. . ..Dr. West showed trem, ndous vision in recognizing the nt ,;d for such programs in our b -other• hood," he said. Conard Hays, assistan t ch1,uman of the _Bible department at J-i.mling Cotl~ge said, "Since I had to •Jttend denomin ational seminaries to get my tllrec-year gradu ate degree in Bible and Religion, J am <!Sp cially aware of the great need we h+\fe for ou r own graduate schools \n this are a. Furthermore, this ma}ces me all the more gra~ful to .Brother \\ est for pioneering in the estublish· n en t of such :.ehoo ls amo r.g our bre thren." "Dr. West has he lped the g radu– ate p rogram grow to a high ltvcl of s.::h olarsh ip while keeping it funda– mentally and :;crlpturally sound," Hays said. . ..He has been tireless in his OR. W. B. WEST, JR. . .. Aturnaiil Citation recipient ~fforts to build up Jhe program, personally going out to meet studen r~ explai ning the need and the \lalue of h i_gher education, encouraging them t o have the faith in God to come to Haroing Graduate Schoo l," he said. I