PRESIDENT Clifton L. Ganus progresses from "Pigstands" to President Petit Jean' First, would you please tell us a little bit about your family background? Ganus: I was born in 1922 on a farm in Texas about a mile out of Hillsboro. My parents were both very young when I was born - 19, I think. About two weeks later we moved to Dallas. My daddy worked for Pigstands, which were drive·in restaurants. I was seven when we moved to New Orleans where dad became manager of the six Pigstands there. In 1932 he started his own restaurant - something he had been dreaming of for a long time. I was 10 years old when I started working, waiting on carhops. I worked until I was 17, came to Harding. and even went home for a couple of summers to work in the business with dad. Pe tit Jean: Were you very mischievous as a little boy? Gallus: Yes , I got into a few scrapes, like burning a wasp nest and setting fire to the garage. But the wasps stung me and that took care of that. I got into almost everything that any little fellow would. It's a wonder I'm still alive. I remember running through a cemetery in New Orleans chasing a rooster when I stepped on a broken whiskey bottle and ripped my foot open about five inches. The lady with whom I was staying disinfected it with salt. It didn't 20 get infected - it didn't dare get infected . My life is just ftIled with things like this that make you wonder how I ever survived. But I guess they are all the normal boy's relationships and problems. Petit Jean' What did you want to be when you were growing up? Ganus: Oh, it varied. I wanted to be a cowboy or an iceman. I wanted to be a businessman when I came to Harding in 1939, and go back to work with my dad, but three months later I decided I was going to preach, and switched my major to history and Bible. But I said , 'There is one thing I will never do, and that' s teach.' This is my 27th year in education. Petit Jean: Under what circumstances did you first meet your wife? Ganus: The first time I saw my wife was when I arrived on campus - the first ten seconds. She and two other girls were carrying brooms, working their way through school. I stopped them and asked where the Administration Building was and they gave me directions . We met again at supper when I just happened to sit across the table from her. It was a Wednesday and I went to church. I happened to sit behind her, and somebody introduced me again to 2 Louise Nicholas from Strawberry, Arkansas. We started dating that Sunday, and that was it. We dated for four years until graduation, and were married about an hour and a half later. Petit Jean: When did you become president of Harding College, and why did you accept the job? Gaf/us: I became president in June, 1965. I served as vice-president for nine years before that, dean of the School of American Studies before that, and was head of the History Department since 1951. I accepted because I felt that it was one of the greatest things that I could do. I could have been preaching, but if I were teaching at Harding I would be multiplying myself and going out with every student who went out to preach. Therefore, I felt that it was one of the greatest callings. Petit Jean' What do you feel are the most decisive factors in convincing people to come here? Ganus: There are many reasons why people come to Harding. I think the greatest reason is the fact that we have a great product. We have an excellent faculty, student body and program, and we have results. This is what people are looking for - results. Put the package together and you have a good selling point . Petit Jean' To what do you attribute
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