By: Christianna (Lewis) Reedy

Dr. Perry Reeves, professor of chemistry, opened his office door on March 2 to find a “winter wonderland.” Multicolored plastic cups were strung around the room. Chairs, books, pictures and other items had been wrapped in aluminum foil and notes were scribbled on some of the shiny surfaces.

“It was a shock to open your door at 7:30 a.m. and see the reflection of light,” Reeves said. “But I enjoyed it immensely.”

The pranksters were Rebecca Fullerton, senior biochemistry major from Garland, and Kaitlyn Wilkins, senior biology major from Anchorage, Alaska. The two had been in Reeves’ sophomore Honors Organic Chemistry class, but Fullerton had made plans to prank Reeves back in her freshmen year, when she realized that he had taught her dad.

Fullerton said she knew Reeves would understand prank as a symbol of her appreciation for him.
“I think it’s good to acknowledge professors that have impacted your life, especially when it comes time for them to retire,” Fullerton said. “It may seem like a silly way to acknowledge that, but it was just a way of celebrating that.”

A history of servanthood

Reeves’ impact on ACU is certainly worth celebrating, said Dr. Kim Pamplin, professor of chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Reeves, his mother and her siblings, his wife, his children and their spouses all graduated from ACU, and some continue to work at the university.
“It’s a family business,” Reeves said.

Reeves’ dream when he graduated from ACU in 1965 was to return and work here as a professor. But there were no positions open for him after he finished his Ph.D. at the University of Texas, so he went instead to teach at Southern Methodist University. But in 1980 Reeves got a call from ACU asking him to consider coming back. Reeves said the opportunity was a dream come true.

Pamplin said Reeves has always been a model of servant leadership in the roles he has taken in academia, administration and in his church. Beyond the chemistry and biochemistry department, Reeves filled the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and served students across campus as adviser for Pre-health Professions.

“He has always set extremely high standards for professionalism in whatever he has done,” Pamplin said. “As a teacher, he has been highly regarded as one of the best on campus. As a researcher, he has always set aside time to be involved with undergraduate students.”

Reeves has been recognized for his mentorship of students in research, for which he has brought in more than $600,000 in grants and produced more than 45 research publications in professional journals during his career.

A friend to students

Reeves said the most fulfilling aspect of his career has been his relationships with students. By getting to know students outside of the classroom through church and other extra-curricular organizations, Reeves has been able to continue his relationships after students have left his classroom. He said his goal has been to be involved in students’ lives and have a long-time influence on them, encouraging them to be productive in their careers and faithful in their walks with God.

“I look back over the years, and the things that had the greatest influence over me from this university were not the buildings, not the landscapes, but the men and women who taught and led the university,” Reeves said. “I hope that’s what the students walk away from here with, that there will be one or two professors who had an influence on their lives.”

Fullerton remembered when her whole organic chemistry class did poorly on one of Reeves’ tests. Reeves stood in front of the class and apologized for not preparing them well enough and asked what he could do better for the next test.

“I love that attitude,” Fullerton said. “He legitimately cared about our success and wanted to know what he could do to help us.”

Reeves taught many of the current faculty members in the chemistry and biochemistry department, including Pamplin. Pamplin said his experience under Reeves’ teaching and research mentoring were some of the reasons he wanted to teach at ACU.

“Somehow or another he communicates his faith and his care and love for his students,” Pamplin said. “When he leaves, we’ll lose one of the best teachers this department has ever had.”

Beyond retirement

After retiring from his full-time position, Reeves will teach part-time at ACU for the 2012-2013 academic year. He said he has relished his time with ACU and leaving it will be difficult.

“I’ve been doing this for 43 years and it’s going to be very hard to leave it behind,” Reeves said. “I’m going to miss coming to work every day, and I’m going to miss the laughter.”

Reeves said he hopes that the chemistry and biochemistry department will continue to be a place where professors can be happy to spend their lives and that the university will continue to be grounded in its faith.

“We still want to be excellent in the classroom and teach students to be excellent outside of the classroom,” Reeves said. “We want to see students be great professionals who are always faithful to God.”

What Reeves does not want, he said, is another prank.

“Once was fun,” Reeves said, “but twice, I think I’d have to go on the war path and retaliate.”