By Raymon Fullerton
Enrollment was up, a student center replaced the lovable and creaky Grill, and newly installed president John C. Stevens followed the legendary Don H. Morris who led the college for 29 years.
Abilene Christian College was on the move during the 1970-71 school year when the editorship of the Optimist fell into my lap. Knowing little about news papering I surrounded myself with bright people like Romona Butler, Mark Cunningham and Karen Hughes. Linda Jo Brown was on hand and Millie Herbert was one of those who supplied art. Bob Woodroof was sports editor and the advertising job was in Robert English’s capable hands. A few days after being named editor I went to a meeting in the president’s office.
Dr. Stevens and dean of students Garvin Beauchamp were there. Representing the Optimist, I proposed an arrangement in which the newspaper would not advocate campus turmoil while the administration would refrain from meddling. The two men and I shook hands and the arrangement was honored all year.
Meanwhile in the world beyond Campus Court Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile; Ford introduced the Pinto; cigarette advertising was banned from television; and Idi Amin became dictator of Uganda.
Students in the Interpretative Reporting classes were required to provide weekly copy to the Optimist staff. From that exercise a story idea emerged exposing a Ponzi scheme that snared several ACC students before the attorney general ran Tussey & Associates out of Texas.
The Wildcat football team was on the move too. Sports Illustrated was in town to cover the Wildcats-Arkansas State game played before a standing-room-only crowd at Public Schools Stadium. Although ASU won 14-8, ACC gained major recognition.
We – the 1970-71 Optimist staff – decided that our mission was to inspire the campus community, promote dialogue and to have fun.
Ancient Sewell Auditorium no longer hosted the annual homecoming musicals that had found a new home in the spanking new Abilene Civic Center. The paper generously covered the Department of Theatre, while bringing attention to lesser known departments and activities.
I had been away from campus for more than five years before returning as an older freshman in the fall of 1969. The Optimist’s annual spring spoof, Pessimist, had become so controversial during those five years that school officials canceled it. In advance of April Fool’s Day 1971 I discussed resurrecting it with Dean Beauchamp, who approved the idea. As the paper was distributed after Friday Chapel students read this headline: Hardin-Simmons Merges With ACC.
The year’s coda from our point of view came in the form of a tagline used in the Pessimist: This is a great day for the school, the city and the entire brotherhood.
