Joseph Pryor, PhD Completing 35 years as faculty advisor to the Petit Jean, "Dr. Joe" is a leader in many diverse fields. For three months during the summer of 1978, Dr. Joseph E. Pryor, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, served as acting Commissioner of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference since the Commissioner resigned during Dean Pyror's term as AIC President. He served as chairman of the Search Committee for a new Commissioner, edited the 1978· 79 Directory and 1977· 78 Review of Sports/ and maintained the normal functions of the AIC office. During 1978-79 he kept the clock for all home football games and was the official scorer for all home basketball games. In April, he attended the annual meeting of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in Chicago. In October, he attended the annual meeting of the Arkansas Deans' Association hosted this year by Southern Arkansas University. During the year he attended several meetings of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education dealing with the transfer of credit in nursing and other problems. Pryor served his ninth year as secretary-treasurer of the National Council of Alpha Chi and was the official delegate of Alpha Chi to the annual meeting of the Association of College Honor Societies held in Atlanta in February. He had major responsibilities in planning and directing the biennial National Convention of Alpha Chi at the Grand Hotel in New Orleans April 5-7. He also installed new chapters in Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, and Ohio. For the 35th year, Pryor served as faculty advisor to the Petit Jean staff. He took a group of the staff to the joint 176" Administration Above, STOPPED on the steps of the Administration Building, Dr. Pryor talks with a faculty member. Right. AN AVID sports fan, Dr. Pryor talks with retired Ale Commissioner LeRoy Nix. meeting of Associated Collegiate Press and the National Council of College Publications Advisers in Houston late in October. At this meeting he spoke on "Advising the Small College Yearbook." As an elder of the College church, he served as chairman of the Campus Ministry Committee and on the Worship Committee. He continued to serve on the Board of the Namwianga Christian Secondary School. During the year, he was appointed a member of the Board of Southern Christian Home in Morrilton and served as chairman of the Search Committee for a new superintendent . On campus, in addition to maintaining the responsibilities of the Dean's office, he edited the college catalog, prepared the semester class schedules, taught two sections of physical science each semester, and chaired several committees, including the Academic Affairs Committee, the Athletic Committee. the Distinguished Teacher Award Committee and the Rank and Promotion Committee . The Pryor home was open to students. In addition to many groups holding meetings, numerous students visited there as their home away from home. Mrs. Pryor advised many girls with wedding plans and either directed their wedding or planned their reception under the auspices of the Associated Women for Harding. Virgil Beckett, BA Utilizing the computer, Virgil Beckett reduced the registrative traumas for both students and faculty members, Developing an efficient system of pre-registration, Registrar Virgil M. Beckett greatly reduced the trauma of registration at the opening of each semester. In order to meet the increasing demands for academic information by the administration and faculty and to maintain an up-to-date check on the status of seniors for graduation, he added a second assistant registrar , Ron Finley, in June. Each semester after the final date for registration he ran statistical analysis of enrollment. He began a feasibility study on a system that would enable teachers to use the computer for maintaining test scores of students and calculating the final semester grades. In October, Beckett attended the annual meeting of Area IX of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in Springfield, Mo. He served on a state-wide committee that studied the
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