Neale Pryor and his wife Treva attend a ceremony in Cone Chapel in 2007. Pryor passed away on Sept. 25, 20 II at age 71 after 5 1 years of marriage to Treva and 45 years of serving at Harding. Jeff Montgomery A frequent keynote speaker at the Bible lectureship, Pryor addresses a crowd in the Benson at the annual event in 2003. Pryor was known for his ability to teach deep biblical concepts in terms that were easy to understand. Jeff Montgomery Dr. Neale Pryor leaves a L-IAs.+i~" I mpression Neale Pryor, former vice president for academic affairs and Bible professor, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 25, at the age of 75. His funeral was held Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Benson Auditorium. Born in Mayfield, Ky., on Oct. 5, 1935, Pryor was a student at Freed-Hardeman College before transferring to H arding College hisjunior year. An English major with a minor in Bible, Pryor went on to study at Vanderbilt University, Harding School of Theology and New Orleans Baptist Seminary. He returned to Harding in 1962 to teach Bible, where he remained for 45 years, serving as chairman of the Bible department, director of the annual Bible lectureship and vice president of academic affairs. Pryor also preached at several churches, spoke at more than 500 Gospel meetings across the world and received the Harding University Distinguished Alumni Award. "[Neale Pryor J is a pillar of this school," President David B. Burks said during the funeral. "The faculty and his students will remember him as a master teacher." During the funeral, many of Harding's administrators spoke on Pryor's gentle character and keen mind, including Burks, Chancellor Cliff Ganus,Jr., Provost Larry Long, Vice President of Spiritual Life Bruce McLarty and Associate Professor of Business Ellis Sloan, who was also Pryor's son-in-law. Pryor was well known for his excellent memory of his students' names and his ability to teach students the deepest scriptural texts in the simplest of terms. "There is a 'Pryorism' I will always remember," McLarty said. "Every student walks into a class with three internal questions he or she has for a teacher: Do you like me? Am I going to make it? Am I worth it? And [Pryor] would make sure he as a teacher would answer 'yes' to each of those questions." A frequent keynote speaker for Bible lectureships at Harding, Pryor's impact on lectureships and the university will be felt for years to come, Burks said. "Neale has experienced the ultimate lectureship homecoming into God's family now," Burks said. "I believe through his faith, Neale Pryor still speaks today through his friends, family and students." Pryor is survived by his wife of 51 years, Treva Terrell Pryor, and their family. Bison Staff Leadership ~~~ .GWL
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