Ouachita Stories

Dr. Loyde Hudson, a noted physician from Fayetteville, will be honored by Ouachita Baptist University with a reception on Thursday, Dec. 4. The 10 a.m. reception will be held on the second floor of the Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery in Moses-Provine Hall on the Ouachita campus. The event is open to the university community.

The reception will feature an art exhibit highlighting several works of arts recently donated to the university by Dr. Hudson. Among the paintings and sculptures donated by Dr. Hudson are works by renowned 19^th century American artist Thomas Moran and German-American artist Albert Bierstadt. Both artists have works displayed in the White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art among other venues.

Expressing appreciation for Dr. Hudson’s commitment to Ouachita, President Rex Horne said, “One of the true highlights of my time at Ouachita has been the privilege of knowing Dr. Hudson.”

Noting that this week will mark Dr. Hudson’s first visit to campus, Dr. Horne said, “He came to know Ouachita personally through alumni like Dr. Andy Hall and staff, John Cloud and Suzanne Spillyards. Becky and I have had the privilege of getting to know Dr. Hudson as a friend across several years now.

“Dr. Hudson is unique in his career, curiosity and generosity,” Dr. Horne added. “The more he heard of Ouachita, the more interested he has become. He has chosen to make a most significant gift of paintings and sculpture to our university. We are indebted to our donors, now including our friend Dr. Loyde Hudson.”

Adopting a resolution of appreciation for Dr. Hudson and his support of Ouachita, university trustees described Dr. Hudson as “a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular surgery and a renowned leader in medical education in the United States.”

Noting that “Dr. Hudson supports the highest ideals of higher education,” the resolution affirms that he “is a supporter of the mission of Ouachita Baptist University” and has “given generously of his resources to support Ouachita.”

“The Rosemary Adams Department of Art and Design is thrilled to receive Dr. Loyde Hudson’s generous donation of works by Thomas Moran, an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York, and Albert Bierstadt, a German-American painter best known for his lavish, sweeping landscapes of the American West,” said Dr. Scott Holsclaw, dean of the School of Fine Arts. “These works along with others from Dr. Hudson’s collection will add a body of work that will not only benefit the education of our students but will enhance the department and its future. We appreciate Dr. Hudson’s generous gift and look forward to displaying these works in our new gallery.”

 

By Trennis Henderson, OBU vice president for communications