of Arts and Sciences, 115 in the School of Business, 72 in the School of Education, and 49 in the School of Nursing. Since those who certified to teach at the secondary level are counted in the College of Arts and Sciences, except for the few who majored in secondary education and business education, the number of degrees granted in the School of Educati.on is not a true picture of its involvement with the number of graduates. During the fall of 1980, Dr. Joseph E. Pryor, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, implemented affiliation agreements with Baptist Memorial Hospital, Methodist Hospital, and st. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and with St. Edward's Hospital in Fort Smith to facilitate the final year of clinical experience for the increasing number of students who were pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology degree offered in the College of Arts and Sciences. Afftliation with Arkansas Baptist Hospital and St. Vincent's Infirmary in Little Rock had been operative for several years. The College had strong preprofessional programs in medicine. dentistry, chiropractic, optometry, veterinary science, pharmacy, law, engineering, and architecture. 1. BIBLE FACULTY MEMBERS J. D. Bales, Don Shackelford, and L. V. Pfeifer discuss the Prayer Enrichment Seminar. 2. CIRCULATION L1. BRARIAN Suzanne Spurrier works in the modern facilities of Beaumont Library. J. NOW that he is retired from teaching, J. D. Bales has time 10 buy an old desk from the Harding Academy. Author, Teacher Retires After Years of Service "My salary has been the same ever since I came to Harding as a teacher in the fall of 1944 - overdrawn at the end of the month," commented Dr. James D. Bales, professor of Christian doctrine, facetiously at his retirement dinner in the Heritage Room on Monday evening, January 19, 1981. Dr. Bales had taught two classes during the 1980 fall semester, meeting his last regular class on December 12, concluding 36Y2 years of teaching at Harding. Already the author of more than 80 books on a variety of subjects, Dr. Bales plans to devote fun time now to writing, convinced of the power of the written word. Many of his books have dealt with issues that have divided Christians and it has always been his effort to make a thorough, scholarly study of the issues and to discuss the issues objectively and in harmony with God's revealed word. Bales enrolled in Harding as a freshman in the fall of 1933. In his undergraduate years, Bales was a wrestling enthusiast and , at Morrilton, persuaded President Armstrong after persistant entreaty to let him wrestle. He was granted $3 to buy a piece of canvas and some cotton seed hulls for a mat provided he would not "entice" other young men to wrestle. The following year he was permitted to "coach." In his senior year, he took six Harding wrestlers on an independent basis to the state AAU tournament. Five made the finals and three, including Herman West, Director of Harding Press, took state titles. He began intercollegiate debating in his freshman year with Dean L. C. Sears as coach. He achieved an outstanding debate record including the state championship. Over the years, he has had 30 or more debates on various topics, the best remembered by people in Searcy being the debate with Woolsey Teller, one of the founders of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, on "The Existence of God," held in the Harding auditorium for four nights, October 6-9, 1947. The impact of this debate is best evidenced by the fact that one young man who attended the debate as a supporter of Teller was baptized into Christ soon after the debate. As a student, Bales collaborated with Charles Paine in writing a "scandal column" for the Bison during his sophomore and junior years. In his junior and senior years, he was on the track team in field events, and in 1937 he was on the Petit Jean staff. Bales would often comment after a chapel speech or Monday Night Meeting speech by President Armstrong that Bro. Armstrong had made that speech primarily for his benefit. For example, Armstrong made a very forceful chapel speech against stealing after Bales, on a dare, had caught a freight train out of Morrilton to Kansas City, mailed back a postal card from Kansas City, and caught the next freight back, ending his speech with "whoever will steal a train ride will steal anything if the opportunity presents itself." President Armstrong's great emphasis on world missions, convinced him that he should go to South Africa as a missionary, but he wanted to go self-supporting. The year after graduating from Harding, he attenqed George Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, and obtained the M.A. degree in English. To get experience in a "British" country, he went the following year to Canada to preach for the Fern Avenue congregation in Toronto. There he met Mary Smart whose father led singing for the congregation. At Peabody, Bales had been influenced greatly by the brilliant scholar, Dr. Michael John Demiashkvich, his professor in the history and philosophy of education. Shortly after he and Mary were married, he went to California to preach for the 8th Avenue congregation in San Francisco and to pursue the doctorate in the history and philosophy of education at the University of California at Berkeley under the renowned scholar, Dr. Fletcher Harper Swift. Bales wrote his dissertation on the pragmatism of John Dewey, noted American educational philosopher. Dr. Swift admired Bales for his ability and his dedication to Christ and commented that he ranked Bales in the top 10 of more than 100 doctoral students he had served as major professor. Dr. Bales returned to Harding as professor of Bible in the fall of 1944 where he has served continuously through the fall of 1980. He has had a profound influence upon thousands of students. In fact, he has had a profound influence on people around the world. He never went as a missionary to South Africa, but his students have gone to many of the nations of the world carrying the gospel of Christ. In 1958, he was invited as the speaker to the Far East Lectureship conducted by service men. He extended this trip - DOlI Holland around the world meeting with service men and missionaries in many countries. At his appreciation dinner, Bales commented: "I have no Qualms about leaving the classroom because I believe Harding is in good hands. Our supreme loyalty must always be to the Lord. I have always tried to do what is right. I have been greatly blessed. When I came to Harding, I came to stay. I hope that when I come to the end of life, it can be said of me, 'He was grateful. ' Industry and integrity are two indispensable Qualities in any man who is pleasing to the Lord and I have tried to incorporate these into my life. I am rich - rich in friends, and I have been supported in doing what I wanted to do." 83 College of Arts and Sciences
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