Dr. Stan Norman speaking Friday at his introduction in Manley Chapel

Dr. Stan Norman has been selected to lead Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge. Norman was announced on Friday as the seventh president of the university, following a five-month search process, and he will take the helm of Williams in April.

“I am incredibly honored by this selection and truly humbled at the graciousness of God to lead the WBU Board of Trustees to invite Joy and me to serve at Williams Baptist University. Six other men have served the Lord faithfully as president of WBU, and I recognize that I will stand on their shoulders and that my efforts will benefit from their sacrificial service and contributions,” Norman said.

Norman comes to Williams from Oklahoma Baptist University, where he has served for the past nine years as provost and executive vice president. He has worked in Baptist higher education since 1996 as both a professor and administrator, and he previously served as a pastor at three churches in Texas.

His hiring was heralded by leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. David Dockery, former president of Union University, nominated Norman for the presidency at Williams and voiced excitement at his selection.

“Stan Norman is a gifted educator and faithful Christ follower who will serve well the Williams community as well as Arkansas Baptists. He is committed to a vision of distinctive Christ-centered education that will inspire faculty, staff, and students. I truly believe that Stan Norman will bring the kind of quality leadership to the work at Williams that will help extend and expand the influence and impact of WBU throughout the South. It will be a privilege to watch, cheer, and pray for Stan and Joy Norman and the Williams community in the days to come,” Dockery said.

“Dr. Stan Norman is a stellar example of a rare breed in academia. He is a brilliant scholar in his field of theology, and he is terrific in the classroom. While on the faculty at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he was one of our most popular professors. He has outstanding administrative gifts and a close connection with Southern Baptists, knowing our churches very, very well. With Dr. Stan Norman at the helm, great days are ahead for Williams Baptist University,” said Dr. Chuck Kelley, president of NOBTS.

Dr. Sonny Tucker is executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which owns and operates Williams. He also extended a warm welcome to Norman.

“I am incredibly excited about Stan Norman joining Williams Baptist University and the Arkansas Baptist family. Stan is a delightful person who brings strong leadership skills and an impressive background to the helm of WBU. Stan’s wife, Joy, is a gracious, wonderful lady and will be well received by the university’s family and this state. Stan will continue and build upon the impressive work of WBU’s previous presidents and lead the university to continued significant Kingdom impact,” Tucker said.

“Dr. Norman quickly rose to the top in our search process. He is very impressive,” said J.R. Cox of Walnut Ridge, chair of the Williams Board of Trustees. “His experience and the wonderful demeanor we saw in him and his wife, Joy, are an ideal fit for our university. We are delighted to welcome them to Williams.”

The search committee was led by Dr. Bob Magee, music professor and chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Williams. Magee said Norman was nominated for the presidency by Dockery, and he then agreed to be considered for the position.

“Our committee was looking for someone with extensive leadership and administrative qualities, as well as experience in an academic setting. Dr. Norman’s years at Criswell College, Charleston Southern University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwest Baptist University and Oklahoma Baptist University assured us that he was well qualified,” Magee commented.

Norman earned his bachelor’s degree at Criswell College in Dallas, and he holds both a Master of Divinity and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth.

He said he will strive to maintain and build upon the Christian commitment at the heart of Williams.

”In this regard, I will work to enhance the vibrant, relevant mission of the university. I intend to develop strategic plans and structures to ensure the ongoing viability and growth of Williams. I will also work to identify and implement initiatives and programs that creatively and effectively expand the influence and impact of the university regionally and globally,” he commented.

The new president plans to begin work quickly, with a starting date of April 2.

“I want to meet and get acquainted with the faculty, staff, students and alumni. I also want to learn in greater depth the story and legacy of the mission and vision of WBU. I intend to participate in ‘getting to know you’ events around the state with Arkansas Baptists and WBU alums and friends,” he said.

Norman said he will also work to learn the overall operations at Williams as quickly as possible, and he wants to launch a collaborative effort to develop goals for the next three to five years.

“I hope to work with the WBU community to strengthen and grow the efforts of the university to transform the lives of students to embrace their vocations as callings of excellence and who view their vocations as platforms for ministry and witness,” he noted.

Norman is a Durant, Okla., native. He and his wife, Joy, have three grown sons.

He replaces Dr. Tom Jones, who served as president for five and a half years before leaving for a position with the California Baptist Foundation last fall.

Williams announced in September that it would transition from Williams Baptist College to Williams Baptist University. School officials say that transition is now well underway and will be completed this summer.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge, offering over 25 majors across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines. It was founded in 1941, and it has an average fall enrollment of 500 students.

The Williams Baptist College theatre program will close its 2017-18 season with Lauren Gunderson’s “Silent Sky.” The production will run Thursday, April 5, and Friday, April 6, in WBC’s Old Chapel.

The play tells the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them.

When Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s theories.

“It is very similar to the story behind ‘Hidden Figures,’” explained Melinda Williams, director of the production. “It tells the story of women who made great contributions in the field of science and astronomy.”

The director went on to add that the plot also involves the conflict of balancing personal and professional lives. “This conflict is something that we all deal with and apparently have for centuries,” Williams noted.

Appearing in the production are Allison Turbyeville of Black Rock, MaKenzie Free of Beebe, Kristin Britt of Chandler, Tex., Melanie McKuin of Dexter, Mo., and Luke Windham of Capetown, South Africa.

“Portraying characters based on real people presents new challenges to the actors,” Williams said. “It turns into a wonderful teaching experience.”

Admission to the play will be $5 general public and $3 for senior citizens and students. Curtain time is set for 7:30 p.m. each night.

Williams is a Christian university in Walnut Ridge. It will officially become Williams Baptist University in July.

Two students at Williams Baptist College have been inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. They were inducted into the Alpha Delta Pi chapter of the society at WBC during a ceremony on February 28.

Students selected for membership in Sigma Tau Delta must be of high academic standing. The society requires that inductees rank in the top 35% of their class and carry an overall grade point average of at least 3.0.

The inductees are Melanie McKuin of Dexter, Mo. and Maggie Morgan of Mammoth Spring, Ark.

McKuin is the daughter of Barry and Kim McKuin and Morgan is the daughter of Charles and Tami Morgan.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts college in Walnut Ridge, Ark. It will become Williams Baptist University in July of 2018.

Every year, elementary students from around Northeast Arkansas submit stories to The Story Store, which is an annual children’s production put on in conjunction with Williams Baptist College and the Northeast Arkansas Educational Co-op.

Gifted and Talented students from around the region submit their stories to Melinda Williams, assistant professor of communications arts at WBC, and she combines their submissions into a play.

The Story Store began in 2001, after Williams attended a workshop in Fayetteville which took submissions from students all over the state and created the play, Arts Live. Williams brought the concept to Northeast Arkansas, where GT students follow a prompt to create their own characters and story.

“I enjoy working on The Story Store because of the impact it has on the kids. The children remember this experience,” said Williams.

Ryan Curtis, a sophomore at WBC, is an example of the influence The Story Store has on the children in the region. Curtis’ story was selected when he was in elementary school, and he still remembers what he wrote.

“The theme that year was heroes. Most of my paper was focused on my dad and his responsibilities as a volunteer firefighter. I remember that it was all about how I admired him in my eyes,” noted Curtis.

Not only does the production impact the students who submit their work, it also has a significant meaning to the Williams actors and actresses who perform in the show, like sophomore Maggie Morgan.

“My sister did The Story Store when she was in college at Williams, so there is a bit of nostalgia. This play means a lot to me, personally, as it is a way for me to be creative on stage. I look forward to it all year,” said Morgan.

Williams Baptist students participating in the presentation of The Story Store

The performance was held on February 7, at the Walnut Ridge community center.

Williams is a Christian, liberal arts university in Walnut Ridge, Ark. It will officially become Williams Baptist University in July.