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- - ! Pul/ias Ends long Tenure . Wednesday,~ By MARGARET DECKBAR Dr. Athens Clay Pullias, president of David Lipscomb College. will end one of the longest college administra- I ijons in the nation with his retirement Wednesday. Willard Collins 1 vice presi– dent of Lipscomo, has been named temporary chief exec– utiveoUk'er·at the college wttil the boardofdirectorsmeets to select a new president. The board is expected tomeet soon to fill that position. ."I bAVE always said that vid Lipscomb planted, M. ton watered and Athens y Pulliasgavethe increase. wish him and his family a PY retirement. . ulJias, in bis statement, 1d the needs of prjvate coJ. ges and universities every. here "become more urgent . . _their problems grow more ntical every day. "Administrators come and o, but the college remains rever young. The halls of · scomb will coqtinue to he– ed with the laughter, hopes dreams of young people ough all the years to come." .- PULLIAS HAS been at Lip– lllllmmb for 43 years, having ed as a teacher and de– tment chairman there r to his selection as presi– of the college. Two years before becoming l ad of the college in 1944, PULLIAS, 17, delivered a · llias, who was then vice letter announcing his retire- esident, was appointed ~aiJ:man of the Lipscomb ex– ~1on program. That pro– ~amhas raisedmore than-$22 million for Lipscomb since ! then. Since the expansion pro– gram started, the coilege has enlarged fromjunior college to ~or college status and has achieved accreditation by the "Southern Association of Col– leges and Schools, and the Na- I tional Council fM the Accredi– tation of Teacher Education. PULLIAS ONCE said that "raisingmoney for a college is a Jot like rabbit bunting...You j have to step on a lot or brush piles. The more brushpiles YoU step on. the more rabbits you get." Pullias grew up on a Trous- 1 daJe County farm and first Athens Clay Pull.las came toLipscomb as a student 31 years at post in 1~. After a year, he trans- ferred to Cumberland Law ment to the Lipscomb board School. yesterday after 31 years at his · In 1934, he was back at Lip- llOSt. ·but offered no explana- scomb as a faculty · member tkn for the decision in a state- treacbing geosi:apb.Y and soci– ment to the press. 1, ology. Hard hit by the Depres- However, Pullias acknow- 4 sion, tpe college could not af. led~ about 10 days ago be ford to pay himasalary and be •t was considering retirement made his living by preaching. because ol "tremendous pro)>. Later, he became a professor lems" facing the college. I of Bible at Lipscomb and · He cited numerous pres• . chairman of the Bible depart- su.res, including financial ment. troµbles at Lipscomb, as £ac– tors which would influence his decision. PULLIAS SAID pressures and a "barrage of criticisms and <.'Omplaints" · have been mounting at the Church of Christ-affiliated school the past two years. Those com– plaints concerned everything from teacher salaries ana morale to administratioo ae- - ~-- . .. '-i,;essibllity, he said. 1 . ~Pullias also said the board •ll~d not asked him to resign or 1 tetire. and that the decision of i whi1:_er to quit now was his to The chairman of the Llp– mb Board of Directors, lliam Dalton of Hart.sville, nn., said yester.day in a ement that the board had pted Pullias' request for et rement 0 witb regret." He 41ded: PULLIAS SAID yesterday that he intends to remain ac– ' Uve, even though retired, "and to speak out when I f~l that my views will be of value." During his career, the col– lege president has served in several semi-public positions. He was chairman of the Ten– nessee Tax Study Commission , , l under Gov. Frank G. Clement j • ~ and Gov. Buford Ellington, . having been appointed by the r\ _'_ ~ former in 1966. ·~: ii!lt:· Pullias also served as chair- ' ·· man of the Tennessee Citizens 1 Committee for Question 3 in .utl8, and as chairman of the Citizens Committee for the " Constitutional Amendment for · Fair Property Taxes in 1962. ' HE IS A past president.of the Tennessee College Associa– tion, past chairman ofthe Ten– nessee Indepentlent Colleges Fund, and a member of the board of directors of Cumber– land College. 1 TALK ABOUT ANNIVERSARIES - Within the pidure is a 25th c1nniversary, a 50th annive~ry, and a 75th anniversary. T sU ecwa e bdng examined is from a set purcNflsed by Mrs. Russ Simmons of :--...,.:-:,,-:-. as she filled her " hope chest"' prior to her marriage. During that year J . C. Penney_ Company was celebrating its 1.51h anniversary and was featuring the iervice for six In sllverplate for ss.oo according ta Mrs. Simmons. Now Mr. and Mrs. Russ Sf"'.'• mons are celebrating their 50th anniversary and. J. C. Penney Company tlus month is celebrating its 75th anniversary and thil! sUverware .•. well, It's still serving, but a ccording to local manager Herb Bae., It's now selling at a higher price.. 1.#- - 7'1 l 4.,..____ Searcy Daily CITIZEN Page ,a 12.25.77· Willard Collins ti \~ IJ'emporary chief \l,; ' CHRISTMAS STOCKING- Jeremy and Jennifer James stuff Mommy and Daddies stocking. They are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Mike James of Searcy. (Photo by Mike James)