Riley-Hickingbotham Library is receiving four new collections in its stacks: three private collections and another in the property of the city of Arkadelphia, Ark. According to Dr. Ray Grenade, Director of Library Services, the three private collections will each feature a different man’s work, each with special connection to the Ouachita family, and the fourth will be feature records of government material of the city of Arkadelphia.
The first of the collections, the “John Knight Papers,” focuses on the life of the civil servant John Knight. According to Dr. Wendy Richter, Assistant Professor and Archivist, John Knight “worked in the private industry from 1968 through 1988 and has been active in civic work, volunteer and church work; he serves as an ordained Southern Baptist deacon.” After receiving his pilot’s license in 1965, he went on to earn several different certifications in aviation and became Director for the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics until his retirement in September 2014. He and his wife Rose have two children, Dr. Tim Knight, Professor of Biology and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Todd Knight, Head Football Coach, both of Ouachita Baptist University. Dr. Tim Knight will be presenting this collection of his father’s work.
The second of the collections is the “Glenn Hickey Papers.” A 1950 alumnus of Ouachita Baptist, Glenn Hickey and his wife Dorothy were missionaries to Recife, Brazil, beginning in 1964. According to Richter, Hickey saw many come to the gospel of Jesus Christ while pastoring a mission church and “teaching young ministers at North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary.” He was a ham radio operator and served as president of the Board of directors of the American School of Recife. When he and his wife returned to the states they began serving in Batesville, Ark. at Calvary Baptist Church. Shortly later, he served as the Director of Missions for the Pulaski Association. Dr. Byron Eubanks, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Sutton Center for Integrity, will be presenting the “Glenn Hickey Papers.”
“The Robert Holley Papers,” the third private collection, will feature the work of Robert Holley who served as the associate director the director of discipleship training for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention for 29 years. His work included “developing discipleship training programs, senior adult ministries, deacon training and a variety of other programs designed to enhance church programs for both outreach and membership development,” Richter said. Mr. Holley is the father of Dr. Deborah Root, Chair of the Rogers Department of Communications and Professor of Communications at Ouachita.
This collection of his work will be presented by Dr. Jeff Root, Professor of Communications and Dean of the School of Humanities at Ouachita.
“The Arkadelphia City Government Records” will feature a collections of City Council minutes, City ordinances and City Manager correspondence. This collection will be presented by Dr. Doug Reed, Professor of Political Science and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs.
According to Grenade, each of the collections are valuable in their own merit. “Collections that have merit on their own basis,” he said, “increase in intellectual value by being with other similar collections.” As he described, most of these collections cover the era of the 1970s to the present, a time which he called one of turmoil for the denomination. Grenade went on to say that these collections allowed people to ask the usual questions of “how did they serve” and “what did they do while serving,” but it also allowed for the larger questions.
“Did from the evidence that we have remaining,” Grenade said. “Did their lives give evidence that they did indeed internalize these teachings and put them into practice in the way that they lived?”
These new collections will be featured at an opening ceremony on March 3, 2016 at 10 a.m. in Riley-Hickingbotham Library at Ouachita Baptist University.
This reception will include opening statements from Dr. Charles Wright, Interim President of Ouachita Baptist University, and Dr. Ray Grenade.
Guests will be allowed to tour the library displays in the lobby of the library and hear small presentations given by Ouachita faculty, on each of the collections.
This ceremony is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Wendy Richter at richterw@obu.edu or (870) 245-5332.
