96 Bible Department of Bible, Religion and Philosophy _ John /. Rfldcliffe - John J. Radcliffe - John J. Rlldcli/fe Taking on New Challenges Administrative reorganization was extensive in the Department of Bible , Religion , and Philosphy during 1983. This began with the announcement in April that Dr. Neale T. Pryor, Professor of Bible , had been chosen to succeed Dr. Joseph E. Pryor as Vice President for Academic Nfairs of the University , effective August 13. Dr. Neale Pryor, an outstanding teaching who had received the Distinguished Teacher Award on two occasions , elected to continue to teach each semester a large section of freshman Bible and a senior-level course primarily for Bible majors. Eddie Cloer replaced Dr. Pryor as director of the fall Bible lectureship , a functi on he had performed for 15 years. On June 14, Dr. Pryor was also appointed act ing chairman of the department to replace Dr . Jerry Jones who left the institution. At the beginning of the fall , semester, Dr. Carl Mitchell was appointed assistant chairman of the department. The extensive administrative experience and outstanding personal qualities of Dr. Mitchell , in conjunction with the respected leadership of Dr. Pryor, enabled the Bible Department to function effectively and smoothly during 1983-84, implementing the tremendous responsibilities of the department. Dr. Don Shackelford requested that he be relieved of his responsibilities as Director of the Mission / Prepare Program so that he could devote more time to teaching and to administering International Campaigns and the Harding University in Aorence program. Dr. Van Tate, Associate Professor of Sociology and a former missionary to Kenya, was chosen as Director of the Mission / Prepare Program. Dr. Tate had a genuine interest in mission work and had been teaching a course in missions for the Bible Department. Jack McKinney returned from a one-year sabbatical leave for study at the University of Athens where he had received a certificate of proficiency in modern Greek fromt he Panepistemiake Lesche of the University , having received a very high score on the qualifying examination for study in the regular university program. He also received a certificate of proficiency in modern Greek from the Hellenic American Union in Athens. He made study of some 50 Greek and Roman archaeological sites and 33 museums in over 60 historically significant cities of southern Italy , Macedonia , mainland Greece , and 11 of the Greek islands. This study gave him an excellent background of information for the Greek classes he taught. Tom Alexander continued on leave for doctoral study at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. During the year, several of the Bible teachers did further graduate study at the Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, including Will Ed Warren , Richard King, and James Walters. Walters also pursued independent research in Hebrew. Since every student who is enrolled at Harding for more than eight hours in a given semester, unless they are involved during their senior year in student teaching or a similar practicum in other professional programs, is required to enroll in a course in Bible , the Bible Department had a heavy teaching responsibility which it took seriously. Supplementing the textual courses in Bible were courses in church life, doctrine , preaching, church history , Biblical languages , and philosophy. Many majors in other fields elected to take additional courses in Bible so as to complete a minor. Avon Malone was the keynote speaker at the first night session of the Rocky Mountain Lectureship in Pueblo, CO, and taught a class in Philippians. He also spoke at the Ft. Worth , Texas Lectureship. Dr. Tate lectured at the
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