SERVES UNIVERSITY GUILDFORD RICE sits behind the steering wheel of the bus he has driven thousands of miles. Rice and his wife, Pat, moved to Searcy in 1975, and Rice began driving the Ha rdi ng bus in 1976. ,(, ROBERSON LEADERSHIP - 160 uilford Rice has sat 29 years behind the wheel of the Harding University bus, gone through 48 states and seen thousands of Harding students and faculty pass through the swinging door of his large vehicle. "There's no one else in this world that r respect more than Guilford Rice," junior Kyle Sapp said. "He's put up with all of us at Harding since ... well ... God created the world, and then Guilford started driving the bus." Though Rice, the university's transportation officer, has traveled more than one million miles in university vehicles, he said he is still upbeat about his contribution to Harding University. " I just try to do my job better today than I did it yesterday," Rice said. Rice said he and his wife of 33 years, Pat, came to Harding in 1975 from Tennessee when Pat was asked to teach in Harding's nursing program. . "This was a big change for us," Pat said. "We never realfy thought we would leave Tennessee." Guilford said they came to Harding with the assumption that they would only stay for a few years. He said within two years, they sawall the wonderful things Harding had to offer and decided they would stay and call Searcy home. "I feel that [it wasJsuch a wonderful place to raise a family," Pat said. Although Pat was teaching, Guilford had a more difficult time finding employment, Pat said. Guilford said at the time the job market was not strong, but he learned that Harding was in need of a full-time bus driver. Guilford said he had experience driving for Continental Trailway, a national bus line, so he qukkly found his niche in the Harding family even to the point of getting a reputation among students. Sophomore Thomas Hanson said he knows Guilford as "the guy with the curly mustache." "He is the greatest guy," Hanson said. "We like him because he keeps the mustache. [The football team] tries to get him to shave it to see what it looks like, but he always keeps it." Guilford said he enjoys taking the athletic teams, musical groups and other organizations affiliated with Harding on trips around the country. "It is like a classroom on wheels," Guilford said. Guilford said he has been blessed with the opportunities that have been given to him since coming to Harding so many years ago. Guilford has not only been blessed, but is a blessing, according to students. "I had bus drivers in high school who couldn't have cared less," Hanson said. "But [Guilford Rice] takes care of the bus and cares about the [football] team." - BARKLEY TERRY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==