Searching for Successor Choosing the successor to Dr. Clifton L. Ganus , Jr ., President of Harding University since June 4, 1965, when he retires in May of 1987, was a major concern of the Board of Trustees . James Cone was appointed chairman of the presidential search committee in the fall of 1984 by Richard Gibson who was then chairman of the Board. Subsequently, Cone was elected Board chairman . The search committee is made up of Board members Cone, Gibson, Roy Sawyer , Dan Russell , Jim Bill Mclnteer, Russ Burcham, and Don Shores. The committee spent many months determining the qualifications and qualities desired in the successor before they asked for nominations -applications. The Board planned to name the successor at the May 1986 meeting so that he can work one year with President Ganus in effecting a smooth transition. At the May 1985 meeting, Harry B. Risinger , Jr. , a 1968 Harding graduate who resides in Millington, Tenn. , was elected to the Board. Jack J. Goode of Memphis, Tenn. , and Hillard E. Johnmeyer of Vichy, Mo. , retired from the Board last May, giving a Board of 19 members . Members of the Board were seriously committed to Harding. They took the lead in giving to the five-year Endowing a Destiny Campaign that extends into 1987. At the November 1, 1985 , Board meeting, it was reported that Board members had given or pledged $2 million to the current capital funds and more than $12 million toward the long-term endowment funds. They approved a $23 .3 million budget for 1985-86. Dr. Don England , Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, spoke to Board members and their wives at the traditional Friday morning breakfast in the Heritage Room on how he incorporated spiritual values in his teaching. He informed the Board that most of the teachers at Harding regarded faith-building and the incorporation of spiritual values as the highest of their priorities even though they gave high priority to excellence in teaching their particular discipline. The student life committee of the Board met for an extended period with the officers of the Student Association and other student leaders. The Board members were impressed by the fine qualities of the students, their dedication to Christ, and their desire to achieve excellence in all facets of life. 4 Board of Trustees. Fron t row: Baldw in , Cone, Green, Mclnteer, Russell , Carter; second row: Harris, Shores , Hendrix, Eze ll , Sawyer, Alexander, Risinger; back row: Burcham , Gibson , Burto n , Ha tfield , Ganus , Cogburn. -photo by John Radcliffe. President's Development Council President's Men Working Together Shortly after his inauguration as the third president of Harding College in the fall of 1965, Dr. Clifton L. Ganus , Jr., began selecting a group of men and women with leadership ability and a genuine interest in Harding to work with him and the Development Office in promoting Harding. Known as the President 's Development Council, this group has grown in size, responsibility, influence , and service to Harding . Over the past 20 years, the Council has grown from about 45 members to more than 352 memebers located in 23 states - from Idaho to New York and from Arizona to Florida. Many of the members are Harding alumni but others never attended Harding yet have developed a genuine interest in Harding because of her Christian standards and stress upon excellence in all areas. Although two Council meetings are held on campus each year , the real thrust of Council membership takes place in each member 's home community. The meetings this year were held on September 27-28, 1985, and April 25-26, 1986. At the September meeting, nine new members were recognized. Danny Skipper, an alumnus from Tyler, Tex., completed a three-year term as chairman of the Council and was succeeded by Bill Harris, a non-alumnus who moved to Searcy about 25 years ago so that all four of his children could attend Harding from elementary school through college. Under Skipper's leadership, the Council was organized into 11 regions with a chairman over each region and a member of the Univt:rsity's Development Office working closely with each region. This enabled Floyd Daniel, Vice President for University Relations and his co-workers- AI Fowler, William Tucker, and Rowan McLeod - to work closely with a small group of Council members. Throughout the 20 years, raising funds for Harding has been a major thrust of the Council. On November 11, 1985, 239 of the 352 Council members had been solicited in the current Destiny Campaign and $2,725,294 in current capital pledges and $3,778,000 in deferred pledges had been obtained. Fowler commented, "The President's Developemnt Council has proved to be a very effective place to identify and develop leadership for Harding. Ten of the current Board members are former members of the Development Council." 1ft Board of Trus tees 255 ..
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