Debits on the left; credits on the right.
Dr. Bob Webster, professor of accounting and chair of the accounting department, has been singing — oftentimes literally — this friendly reminder to Ouachita business majors for 20 years as they embark on their journey through the exciting world of accounting.
Webster, a Ouachita graduate, didn’t begin his life at Ouachita with the intent of retiring a professor, however.
“My whole plan when I came to Ouachita was to be commissioned into the Army,” Webster said. “My dad was in the military, so I was an Army brat and moved around and liked it.”
After joining the Army at the age of 21, Webster found himself in the intelligence branch, which included work with budgeting and accounting.
He spent 20 years with the Army, during which he earned his master’s in business administration from Syracuse University and a master’s of science in accountancy from Long Island University.
During his last five years in the service, Webster found himself teaching accounting and corporate finance at West Point, followed by two years at Henderson State University as a professor of military science.
Webster chose to retire from the military after 20 years.
“The longest you could stay was another 10 years,” he said. “And I didn’t want to be 51 years old and looking for a job.”
After being at Henderson as a professor of military science, Webster was hired to teach business courses.
After a couple years, Webster left to get a doctorate in business administration from Louisiana Tech University, then returned to Henderson to continue teaching before crossing the street to begin his Ouachita teaching career in 1993.
When asked what brought him back to Ouachita to teach, he responded simply with, “Heartstrings.”
“My parents both graduated here; I graduated here,” Webster said. “I’d lived in Arkadelphia already. It seemed like a great place to be.”
What means a lot coming from Webster. In his Army brat childhood days, he lived in Tennessee, Virginia (three times), France, Greece and Colorado. After joining the Army, he lived in Belgium, Korea, Indonesia, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Arizona, Texas and Georgia, with wife Mary Katherine by his side.
Webster also travelled around the globe while employed at Ouachita for various reasons.
“One thing Ouachita has afforded me to do as a professor here is to travel overseas,” he said. “I taught two summers in Kazakhstan, did consulting work in China and taught a summer in Indonesia.”
Webster said teaching within other cultures was similar to how he does things here in the states, though not all things stayed the same.
“You have to change language and do things a little slower and cut out southern slang,” Webster said.
The students, according to Webster, were all “very motivated and engaged.”
The interaction with students is Webster’s favorite part of teaching.
“I love just being around young people and seeing how they operate,” Webster said. “One of the things I’ve particularly noticed is how kind and considerate students are.”
Many of these students will be the ones that celebrate in graduation gear with him on his second and final official Ouachita commencement in May.
“I can remember graduation,” Webster said. “I was all fired up for it to happen, then I realized I was about to have to grow up.”
This time around, “growing up” for Webster includes travelling, golfing, spending time at the beach and visiting his children more.
“My youngest daughter lives in Little Rock and my oldest daughter lives in Atlanta,” he said. “We will probably be visiting my daughter in Atlanta more during retirement.”
Though he will be officially retired, Webster will periodically return to campus as a business researcher for the school.
After serving Ouachita and her many students for 20 years, Webster’s time has come to a close.
“I’m retiring because I’m old! I’m ready,” Webster said. “It’s been great. I loved it. But now it’s over.”
Webster’s advice for students preparing to graduate and head out into the real world?
“Before they graduate, they need to major in accounting!” he said with a smile.
