Ouachita Stories

Six retiring faculty and staff members with a combined total of 180 years of service to Ouachita Baptist University were honored April 29 at a campus retirement reception.

Ouachita President Rex Horne affirmed the opportunity to “pay honor to a number of people who have spent many years of service at Ouachita,” adding that “we appreciate each and every one of you. We’re grateful for your service to Ouachita.”

Dr. Raouf Halaby, professor of Art and Design and English, holds two degrees from Ouachita. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and earned his Master of Science in Education degree in 1970. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree from East Texas State University. Halaby, who has served 42 years at his alma mater, was named professor emeritus earlier this year by the Ouachita Board of Trustees.

John Cloud, senior development officer for estate and gift planning, has served at Ouachita 32 years. He graduated from Ouachita in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Henderson State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. His wife, Yvonne Cloud, bookstore textbook manager, has served at OBU 31 years. She is a 1983 Ouachita graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history. The Cloud House in Ouachita’s Student Village, was named in their honor in 2009.

Shirley McMillan also has served 31 years at Ouachita. She is director of Ouachita’s Foster Grandparent Program. She recently was awarded the Elrod Center for Family and Community’s 2015 Outstanding Service Award for her service to Ouachita and the Arkadelphia community.

Margaret Frazier, director of campus housing, is a 1965 Ouachita graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in French. She is retiring after 26 years of service, including the past 18 years in her current position.

Jackie Suggs, who serves on the carpentry crew for facilities management, has worked at Ouachita 18 years.

“The Good Book states that there is a time and a season,” Halaby told the reception crowd. “This semester, for the first time in 42 years, I am teaching the granddaughter of a former student. This tells me that this is the time and the season for me to retire.

“I leave Ouachita with a chest of riches and an abundance of memories far more precious that all the silver and gold in Fort Knox,” he added. “I have been most fortunate and truly blessed.”

John Cloud emphasized that “I love this place more than anything in my life other than my family and God. It has nourished us and taken care of us. I’ve been able to work with some of the best people in the entire world. I’ve had opportunities galore that I could never have dreamed of.”

Noting that “I’m going to miss this place,” Cloud said he and his wife “are both together going to find something to do that is worthwhile and beneficial and fulfilling” as they conclude more than 60 years of combined service at Ouachita.

According to Shirley McMillan, when she became director of the Foster Grandparent Program, “God dropped a job in my lap. It was purely a God thing. Thanks to all of you who have helped me, supported the program through the years and been so kind and loving to the foster grandparents.”

In an interview with The Signal campus newspaper, Margaret Frazier said, “Being able to work with the students and help get them settled in their housing has been fun. It may have taken a while to get it all figured out but it was a good feeling when we were able to make it come about.”

 

By Trennis Henderson, OBU Vice President for Communications

PHOTO: Ouachita President Rex Horne (at left) affirmed the work of six retirees, including (from left) Shirley McMillan, Dr. Raouf Halaby, Margaret Frazier, John Cloud, Yvonne Cloud and Jackie Suggs. OBU Photo by Haley Hatcher.