Vice President Dr. Gary McCaleb was honored Monday for his 50 years of service at ACU.

During Monday’s Chapel, President Dr. Phil Schubert recognized McCaleb and presented to him an authentic ACU Baseball jersey with the number 50 on the back, which he wore while throwing the first pitch that afternoon at the ACU v. McMurry baseball game.

Following Chapel, a luncheon was organized to honor McCaleb.

Seats for the luncheon sold out to more than 350 people, including ACU students, faculty, alumni and guests, said Lea Watkins, assistant to the vice president.

Notable guests in attendance included Congressman Randy Neugebauer and Representative Susan King, Watkins said.

At the luncheon, Chancellor and former ACU president Dr. Royce Money gave a tribute to McCaleb.

Also announced at the luncheon was the foundation of a scholarship to be called “Complete the Dream.” The scholarship is being funded at a $100,000 level by an anonymous donor and will be for student athletes majoring in business, Watkins said.

At Monday’s baseball game McCaleb threw the first pitch, which was caught by his son, Bryan McCaleb.

In addition to serving as the university vice president, McCaleb founded the Center for Building Community and serves as its Executive Director.

As a result, more than 150 Pulse and Lynay students attended the game to honor McCaleb, said Prentice Ashford, assistant director for the Center for Building Community.

“ACU would not be what it is today without Dr. McCaleb,” Ashford said.

“I am very grateful for him and the relationship we have,” Ashford said. “He’s been a great mentor to me. We have a Paul and Timothy like relationship.”

Watkins said McCaleb has made his job into one that constantly interacts with students. She has worked with McCaleb for 13 years and said she would describe McCaleb as a “student person.”

“He’s been kind of like a grandfather to me,” said Aubree Selinger, senior family studies major from Grapevine.

Selinger said one word that kept surfacing at the luncheon as people spoke about McCaleb was intentional.

“He’s very intentional in knowing what’s going on in your life,” she said.

Both McCaleb and his wife Sylvia are very involved in the lives of students at ACU, Selinger said.

McCaleb said the best part of his job is the opportunity to continue to connect with students.

“The students are the energy of our campus,” McCaleb said.

His wife, children, grandchildren and other extended family members have all attended ACU, McCaleb said.

“ACU is like a part of my extended family,” McCaleb said.

The crowd was on its feet cheering as McCaleb threw the first pitch at Monday afternoon’s game.

McCaleb, once an ACU baseball player himself, was responsible for bringing baseball back to ACU, Ashford said.

McCaleb and his son, who caught the pitch, said it was a strike.

Ashford said McCaleb’s pitch served as a fitting representation of his numerous successes at ACU.