Sallie Ellis Hockaday Benson, aged 85, died December 17, 1981, in a Searcy hospital following a brief hospitalization. For several months, her sight and health had been failing, but she had courageously attempted to meet her schedule of responsibilities. Born March 15, 1896, in Platts· burg, Missouri, she later moved with her family to Granite, Oklahoma, where her father operated a large general store and served as chairman of the Board of Cordell Christian College. After she had graduated from Cordell Christian College, a two-year institution, she attended the University of Oklahoma where she received the B.A. degree with a major in English. A successful teacher in the public schools of Oklahoma, she was employed in the fall of 1924 to teach mathematics and Latin in the Academy of Harding College in Morrilton that had just been chartered upon the merger of Harper College and Arkansas Chris· tian College. George S. Benson was a senior in the college and a teacher in the Academy. He and Sallie Ellis Hockaday were married on July 2, 1925, and in August they sailed for China as the first missionaries to China from the churches of Christ. She assisted her husband in establishing the Canton Bible School and served as a teacher of English. Their two daughters - Ruth Crowder of Macomb, illinois, and Lois McEuen of Little Rock - were born in China. The Bensons left China in the summer of 1936 for Dr. Benson to accept the presidency of Harding College. She served as first lady of Harding from 1936 to 1965. During much of this time , she taught Latin and mathematics in Harding Academy and served a few months as principal. A quiet lady of refine· ment, she supported her husband in the heavy load of responsibility he carried. She was a charter member and one of the first life members of the Searcy chapter of Associated Women for Harding. In 1974, she modeled her wedding gown in a fashion show sponsored by AWH. Mrs. Benson was a long·time member of the Searcy Garden Club and the Searcy chapter of the American Association for Universi· ty Women. She was active in the work of the College church. For several years, she attended regular· Iy three Bible studies at different congregations in Searcy. She had a deep interest in mission work around the world and was a source of encouragement to many mis· sionary families. ~ Thelma E. Buchanan, aged 72, died October 28, 1981, in EI Dorado, Arkansas. Born February 5, 1909, in Covington, Kentucky, she received her education in Covington, graduating from high school in 1926. After her marriage to Charles F. Buchanan in 1931 , they moved to Prescott, Arkansas, to live on his family 's farm. To their union were born three children, Vernon of El Dorado, Shirley of Mena, and Richard of Hampton. After her husband's death in 1958 and her youngest son's graduation from high school, she went to Henderson State University as a dorm mother and served there through the 1966-67 school year. In the fall of 1967, Mrs. Buchanan was employed by Harding as a dorm mother and she served in this capacity until she retired in 1978. Most of her service was in Kendall Hall. She went to live with her son in EI Dorado and in January, 1979, she suffered a heart attack. Although her activities were restricted thereafter, she continued to crochet and sew for her grandchildren and always kept hands and mind busy. One of her granddaughters, Leslie A. Buchanan, is a junior at Harding. Commenting on the work of Mrs. Buchanan, Virgil Lawyer, who was Dean of Students during most of the years Mrs. Buchanan was al Harding, commented: "Her quiet, unassuming and gentle manner endeared her to all with whom she came in contact. She often remark· ed how happy she was that she had the privilege of serving her last ac· tive years at a place like Harding. "Neat in dress, calm in spirit, faithful to her tasks, this 'worthy woman' has left to all of us at Harding example worthy of ·emulation." ~ Following an extended illness, Dr. Robert Roy Coons, aged 92, died at a nursing home in Sweetwater, Texas, November 5, 1981. Born February 16, 1889, at Web· bers' Falls. Oklahoma, he moved with his family to Abilene, Texas, in the summer of 1909. A few months later at the age of 21. he enrolled in the seventh grade of Abilene Christian College, work· ing on campus to pay his expenses. He graduated from ACC Academy in 1914at the age of 25,., completed the two-year program of ACC in 1916, and graduated magna cum laude from Simmons College in Abilene in 1918 with a major in physical science. He served briefly as 'principal of Novis, Texas, Public Schools before being drafted into the army for a brief period of duty during World War I. After attending the Universi· ty of Texas during the first part of 1919, he was employed by Abilene Christian College to teach chemistry in ACC's first year as a senior college. Two members of his basic chemistry class that year became outstanding scientists: his wife, the former Callie Mae Williams, who he had married on September 18, 1918, and Paul C. Witt who later did significant research on "sulfa" drugs and headed the chemistry department at ACC for many years. After teaching two years at ACC, Coons and his wife began doctoral study and completed the Ph.D. in 1931 and 1929, respecti vely. He headed the physical science department at Harding in 1924·26 and 1933-37. He organized the Alpha Honor Society, now Alpha Chi , in 1935 and was the first sponsor of the TNT Club. He and his wife received the 1981 Trustee Award. He left Harding at the urging of Batsel! Baxter to help start Pepper· dine College and later taught at American University in Washington, D.C., while his wife served as the highest ranking woman in the USDA, heading research projects in human nutrition. ~ Elizabeth Pankratz Dykes, retired reference librarian and assistant professor of library science, aged 71, died January 20, 1982, in a Searcy hospital following an ex· tended battle against cancer. Her husband, J. Harvey Dykes, retired assistant professor of speech, was critically ill at the time and unable to attend the funeral service. Born October 20, 1910, in Cordell, Oklahoma, Mrs. Dykes graduated from the Cordell High School and attended Oklahoma Christian College, a junior college in Cordell, graduating in 1929. She attended Harding College in Morrilton during the 1930-31 school year. She and J. Harvey, sweethearts from high school years in Cordell, were married on July 24. 1931, following his graduation from Harding. She completed the B.A. degree in humanities at Oklahoma State University in 1956 and the Master oLlibrary Science at Texas Woman's University in 1968. She joined the Harding faculty as reference librarian in 1967 and served very efficiently until her retirement in 1978. During this time, the collection grew from 90,909 volumes to 173:921 volumes. Her husband was an outstanding, scholarly gospel preacher who served some of the larger congrega· tions in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Michigan and preached in gospel meetings in 18 states before joining the speech faculty of Har· ding in 1967. The Dykeses had two sons: Patrick Harvey, a Harding graduate who is a businessman in Lakewood, Colorado, and Dr. Kermit Hall, a physics professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Mrs. Dykes was a member of Beta Phi Mu. library science honor society, and Sigma Tau Delta,. English honor soceity. She was listed in Who'. Who of American Women and Personalities of the South. She was active in the American Library Association, the American Association of University Women, and Harding Women. She and her husband exemplified in a beautiful way the love and' friendship that should exist bet· ween husband and wife. They enjoyed being with each other and reo mained "sweethearts" to the end. Each tried hard to outserve the other out of deep and genuine love for each other. ~
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