1950
The Rev. Dr. William K. McElvaney (M.B.A. ’51, M.Div. ’57) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Perkins School of Theology February 4 as part of Perkins’ Ministers Week. Following graduation from Perkins, he served for 15 years as pastor of several United Methodist congregations and for 12 years as president of the United Methodist-related Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO, where the William K. McElvaney Chair in Preaching was established in his honor in 1988. He received the SMU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980, and the William K. McElvaney Fund for the Advancement of Peace and Justice at SMU was started in 1993.
1952
Frank (Francis) Murray is promoting his 52nd book, Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene Are Miracle Workers (Gyan Books, New Delhi, India), especially geared to the developing countries, where millions succumb to skin problems, lung diseases, HIV/AIDS, measles, malaria, diarrhea and blindness each year. His 53rd book is Minimizing the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (Algora Books, New York, 2013).
The Rev. Robert E. Young (Master of Theology) participated in the 60th anniversary of Richland Hills United Methodist Church. Rev. Young was the founding pastor and served the church from 1953 to 1962. Six charter members of the original 89 were in attendance and received special certificates. He shared in the worship service with other former pastors and baptized his great-grandson, Baker Jay Blankenship. His grandmother was baptized in Richland Hills United Methodist in 1956.
1955
The Rev. Dr. Roberto Escamilla was presented the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Alumni/ae Council of SMU Perkins School of Theology as part of Perkins’ Ministers Week in February. He is minister of evangelism at First United Methodist Church in Ada, OK, an instructor in the Perkins School of Theology Course of Study School (COSS) and worship coordinator for COSS every summer.
1956
Richard L. Deats reports joining the King Scholars in the MLK Digital Project and speaking in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, and at Boston University School of Theology.