J. Harvey Dykes, aged 72, a retired professor of speech, died of a heart attack at a Searcy hospital on February 8, 1982, only 19 days after the death of his wife, Elizabeth, a retired reference librarian. Born December 13, 1909, in Hammond, Oklahoma, his parents moved in his youth to Cor. dell, Oklahoma, so that their children could attend Cordell Chris· tian College and its successors in Cordell, Western Oklahoma Chris· tian College and Oklahoma Chris· tian College. After completing the two·year program at Oklahoma Christian College, Mr. Dykes enrolled in Harding College at Morrilton in the fall of 1929 and graduated in June, 1931, with a major in history. He achieved a very high academic record and achieved acclaim as an outstanding orator. He married his high schoo l sweetheart, Elizabeth Pankratz, on July 24, 1931. Last summer, they celebrated their golden anniversary at Kings Inn with members of his family. From his youth, he was an effective gospel preacher. He was a diligent student of the scriptures and was an eloquent speaker. Most of his local work was done in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Michigan, but he held gospel meetings in 18 states. He served as director of the Bible chair at Oklahoma State University for several years and helped start the Bible chair at Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma. He taught in the Preston Road School of Preaching in Dallas, Texas, the year prior to his joining the faculty at Harding. While preaching in Detroit, Michigan, he did graduate study at Wayne State University, com· pleting the M.A. degree in history and doing most of the residence work for a Ph.D. degree in speech. Dykes joined the speech faculty at Harding in the fall of 1967 and taught ten years, retiring in June, 1977. He was a capab le teacher who exemplified effective speak· ing. In 1968, he preached for the Col· liege congregation about one year while the elders were seeking a fulltime preacher. Later, he drove to Willeford each Sunday for several years. After retiring, he and his wife moved to Charleston and he preached full time until failing health forced them to return to Searcy. Dykes was a member of the Speech Association of America, the Southern Speech Association, and the Arkansas Speech Association. He had an interest in communicating with deaf people and sponsored the Dactylology Club at Harding for several years. ~ Mary Lou Bowling O'Brien. secretary to the Department of Speech,diedJune7,1981,inaLittie Rock hospital following surgery. Born January 18, 1936, in Bragg City, Missouri, she later moved with her fa'mily to Clinton, Arkansas, where she graduated from high school. She was a leader in high school activities and served as a state officer in the Arkansas Home Economics Association. On February 21, 1955, she mar· ried Dwight O'Brien. Their three children, Bill, Bobby, and Maryvi, have all attended Harding Universi· ty where Maryvi is currently a freshman. Mary Lou was a member of the College church and was ac· tive in the Searcy chapter of Associllted Women for Harding. In the fall of 1974, Mrs. O'Brien was employed as secretary to the nursing department, at the beginning of the planning and organiza· tional year. After the graduation of the first class in 1977, she became secretary of the speech department where she was serving at the time of her death. "Mary Lou made students welcome and comfortable in the office of the speech department liS they sought information, made appoint ments, or just dropped by for a brief chat," commented Dr. Evan Ulrey, chai rman of the department. "She was conscientious about her work but not too busy to be warm and friendly. She was held in high esteem by all those who know here. The family and friends of Mary Lou O'Brien can justly feel happy about her contribution to Christilln eduction on the campus of Harding University." ,~ A member of the Harding Board of Trustees for 31 years, Milton Harvey Peebles, aged 68, died June 26, 1981, in Texarkana, TX, follow· ing a relatively short illness. He was born April 4, 1913, in Smyrna, TN. Valedictorian of the 1931 graduating class from Smyrna High School, he enrolled at Harding College the following fall and graduated in June, 1934, with a B.S. degree in mathematics. He received the Master's degree in 1956 in school administration from East Texas State University in Commerce. Following graduation from Har· ding, he was employed by the Saratoga School System. He served as elementary principal for 1934·35 and was appointed superintendent the following fall. He served as superintendent at Saratoga 'until his retirement in 1977. Immediately following his death, the new school building at Saratoga was named in his honor. On May 29, 1933, he married Nannie Catherine McQuiddy whom he had met at Harding. They had four sons, all of whom graduated from Harding: Milton H., Jr., a librarian at Henderson State Univer· sity; Dr. Larry M., a radiologist in Texarkana; Dr. David M., professor of mathematics at Lubbock Christian College; and Dr. Samuel W., a physician at Nashville. He had 11 grandchildren, two of whom were students at Harding this year. Mr. Peebles began preaching at the age of 18. He was the evangelist for the Hope Church of Christ for the 17 yea rs prior to his death. Our· ing the first 30 years of his pulpit ministry, he preached regularly for various small congregations throughout southwest Arkansas who could not afford a full·time preacher. He held numerous meetings, peformed many wed· dings, and conducted many funerals during his lifetime. "I first became acquainted with Milton Peebles during my senior year in high school while visiting my grandmother who lived about two miles out in the country from the Harding campus at Morrilton," commented Dr. Joseph E. Pryor. "Since my grandmother's health was poor, Milton would walk out to her home each Sunday afternoon and preach to a small group that assembled in her home for worship. At that time, he was milking both morning and evening the herd of dairy cattle that the College owned to provide milk for the dining hall. He was a senior my freshman year at Harding and he had a great in· fluence for good on the student body. Although I appreciated him then, my appreciation has grown over the years. He was truly a great man of God who was profoundly in· fluenced by the great men who taught him at Harding." f£i. Benjamin Franklin Red, aged 76, died January 11, 1982, in a Little Rock hospital after a battle with cancer that began in the summer of 1981. Born November 3~. 1905, in Little Rock, he began working for Western Union in his youth. He was married to Lena Patton on October 15, 1928. Their two children are Roger Red of little Rock and Mark Walker of Nashville, Tennessee. In 1949, he bought his own photographic studio at 116 Main Street in little Rock. He began tak. ing portraits for the Petit Jean in the fall of 1954 and for 26 years personally took all or most of the portraits each year. As Harding's enrollment grew. he was assisted by his son, Roger, who took over the portrait photography this fall since his father was hospitalized. Mr. Red was past president of the Arkansas Professional Photographers Association in which he held life membership. He was a member of the Oklahoma Professional Photographers Association, the National Photographers Association, and the Board of Directors of Kolor Print, Inc., in Little Rock. Mr. Red enjoyed his associations at Harding and each year had age· nuine interest in the Petit Jean being produced. He considered himself a member of the staff and helped the students every way he could. He especially enjoyed helping the student photographers develop their photographic ability. At least three of the head photographers are now professional photographers: Mike James, Kirk Sewell, and Steve Shaner. Others are using their expertise in teaching, mission work, public relations, or journalism. Mike James who served as head photographer for four successive years, 1969·73, and, after graduation in 1973, was employed as photographer for the Publicity Of· fice, commented, "Ben Red was my mentor as he was to scores of other aspiring photographers across the state and southwest. His advice was cherished not only because it was sound technically, but also because it was rich in wisdom and in toler· ance with those who lived around him. He shared his knowledge and experiences willingly with novices and never was afraid to give away a 'trade secret.' He was a dretllmer, and he was my friend." ~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==