Adlai Stevenson Croom, retired Business Manager , died February 16, 1985, in Searcy at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife, Margaret ; two sons, John A . Croom, a lawyer of Edmond , Okla. ; Dr. William S. Croom, a physician of Lubbock, Texas; and a daughter, Sarah Ann Hatch who is completing her doctorate in music at the University of Colorado in Boulder; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Born February 20 , 1892, in Oxford , Ark. , he attended school in this small community in northern Izard County, a county that has produced a number of outstanding gospel preachers well-known for their evangelist and polemic ability. He early became involved in hard work and learned the valuable lessons of frugality and perseverance. He taught grade school in a rural public school for five months in 191O-191l. Croom attended the National Teacher's Normal and Business College, now FreedHardeman College , in Henderson, T enn., for two years and became imbued with the desire to have a Christian coll ege in his native state of Arkansas. He subsequently attended the University of Louisville , for three years, earning the B.A. degree with a major in mathematics in 1919. He then joined the faculty at Harper College in Harper, Kan. , for two years as teacher of mathematiCS , working under J.N . Armstrong who was president. During his second year at Harper, he served as Acting Dean. He then enrolled in Harvard University for a year of graduate study in mathematics in 1921-22 , receiving the M.A. degree in 1929. He returned to Arkansas in the late spring of 1922 to accept the presidency of Arkan - sas Christian College that brethren in Arkansas decided to establish in Morrilton. Although plans began developing in 1919, the college did not begin operation until the fall of 1922 and Croom faced the arduous task of assembling a fa culty, getting need e d buildings completed and recruiting students. He per- . suaded another Arkansan , Lonnie E. Pryor , who had been born and reared near Emerson in the southern part of the state but who also attended Freed-Hardeman College, to join him for the 1923-24 year. When he heard that Armstrong was giving serious con · sideration to moving Harper College to a location where the church was stronger, he encouraged him to merge with Arkansas Christian College. The merger of the two colleges was accomplished by the two boards and Harding College was chartered as a senior college with Armstrong as preSi - dent , Croom as vice preSident, L. C. Sears as Dean and most of the Harper people as faculty. Although his life on earth had spanned less than a quarter of a century, Thomas Lee Hamm had made a profound impact for good on thousands of people who knew and loved him . Many will remember the frail youth who mounted the speaker's stand in chapel during a visit back to the campus to express genuine thanks to more than 3,000 people for their prayers on his behalf and for the many expressions of love and concern he had received from the students and faculty of Harding. When he and his twin brother, Wes , had attended the second early orientation session in July of 1979, faculty members and peers alike had no difficulty in distinguishing Lee from Wes because Lee 's head had been shaved, exposing a prominent scar that extended from the crown of his head to the base of his neck. preregistered for the 1982 fall semester but additional problems prevented his enrolling. The tumor was detected near the end of his senior year in high school and he had surgery on May 4, 1979 . Radiation treatments were begun in July. As his condition worsened in 1982, medical science applied in October what was then considered the final treatment - heavy radiation to kill all the malignant cells followed by a bone marrow transplant from his twin brother , Wes. His cond ition improved for several months during which time he studied real estate and passed the licensure examination in 1983, the year in which he was recognized as an Outstanding Young Man of America. Early in his junior year of high school, he began dating Tammy Fann, a sophomore in the Academy from Caseyville, Ill. Tammy enrolled as a freshman at Harding in the fall of 1980, Lee's sophomore year. When he was forced to withdraw after several weeks of the Lee died in a St. Louis 1981 spring semester had passHospital on July 12 , 1984, and ed, Tammy also withdrew so his funeral was held in the that she could be near Lee. building of the Collinsville (Ill.) FollOWing another remission , church of Christ, his home con- Lee and Tammy were married gregation, with a host of Har- on May 1, 1981. ding friends as well as local Lee is survived by his wife , friends in attendance. He had Tammy; his parents John and been bedfast almost constantly Anna Hamm of SI. Jacob , Ill. ; from December 1983 until his his twin brother, Wes, a regdeath. istered nurse with the U.S . Air Lee and Wes were born the ' Force in Tampa Bay , Florida ; a twin sons of John and Anna younger sister, Margaret , of St. Hamm on December 1, 1960 Jacob ; members of his social in SI. Jacob, Ill. , which was his club at Harding , Chi Sigma home until his death. After at- Alpha; and a host of other tending grade school in St. friends. I'.f#i< Jacob, he enrolled in the Christian Academy of SI. Louis from which he graduated in 1979 with a 4.00 GPA. He served as president of the Student Council, played intercollegiate soccer and softball, and was a member of the chorus and the National Honor Society. He enrolled in Harding University in the fall of 1979 pursuing a major in psycho logy. He completed three semesters with a good GPA before a recurrence of the maliginancy forced him to withdraw before completing the 1981 spring semester. He Exhibiting superhuman courage , a genuine faith in God and a cheerful attitude through a long battle with cancer until her physical strength was exhausted , Dr. Mary Ann Harris died February 11 , 1985, in a Searcy hospital. Early in the fall semester , she had been hospitalized several days, but she drew on her great spiritual resources and completed the semester. She enjoyed the Christmas recess with her family but had to return to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==