Twenty years ago, the Wheaton Alumni magazine began a series of articles in which Wheaton faculty told about their thinking, their research, or their favorite books and people. Professor Emerita of Communications Eleanor Paulson ’47 (who taught at Wheaton from 1952-1991) was featured in the Fall1992 issue.

Cicero described it as “the treasury and guardian of all things.” Shakespeare called it “The warder of the brain.” Charlotte Bronte wrote, “I prize her as my best friend.” The words of Mark Van Doren were, “It holds together past and present, gives continuity and dignity to human life. It is the companion, tutor, poet, library with which we travel.” These authors were referring to “Memory,” which serves to remind us of people, places and experiences we have encountered, and their significance in our lives.

Recently I attended my Wheaton College class reunion. We renewed friendships and shared memories of our college days: of first impressions of Wheaton, orientation and initiation by sophomores who required us to wear “dinks,” carry their hooks, and obey other commands. We remembered classes and special professors who challenged us with the excitement of learning. Beginning classes with devotions made a special impression on many of us.

In addition to classes and hours spent in the library there were trips to the Stupe, friendships to form, athletic events, dorm parties, Washington Banquets, and a Sneak” when we were seniors. We wore our Sunday best for dinner Friday evenings, and afterward attended Literary Society meetings. There were opportunities to be members of the many organizations on campus. Occasionally we took the “Aurora and Elgin” to Chicago, and Mrs. Smith, dean of women, reminded us that “Wheaton women wore hats and gloves.” A special time each day was the chapel service in Pierce. Dr. Edman, “Prexy,” spoke to us on such subjects as: “It’s Always Too Soon to Quit,” “Not Somehow, But Triumphantly,” “Don’t Doubt in the Dark What God Told You in the Light,” and the importance of living “For Christ and His Kingdom.”

Since graduation there have been additional memories added to my storehouse: teaching literature and speech to high school students in Almont, Michigan; teaching evening school at the Detroit Bible College; graduate work at Northwestern University, and then my return to Wheaton to teach. I shall never forget the beautiful spring day when I received a letter from Dr. Nystrom, chair of the speech department, inviting me to come to Wheaton to teach. That was a dream that came true!

For 39 years, I had the wonderful privilege of teaching Oral Interpretation of Literature, Speech for Teachers, Private Lessons, Public Speaking, and directing reading hours, recitals, and readers’ theater programs. I greatly enjoyed working with students in classes and programs, sharing their joys, their concerns, and their interests. They enriched my life in so many ways. In remembering the many students I had the privilege of knowing, I am reminded also of the many selections of literature we shared.

We experienced a sense of wonder as we read CS. Lewis’ “Creation of Narnia.”
We witnessed the transformation and joy of Scrooge as he discovered Christmas.
We shared the friendship between a little prince and a fox in the story by Saint-Exupery.
We shared in the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, Charlie Brown and his friends, the children in Narnia, Bilbo Baggins, and others.
We became immersed in discussions between the Karamazov brothers on the existence of God and immortality, Christ-like love, suffering, and forgiveness.
We accompanied Christian on his journey to the “Celestial City” in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
We enjoyed the poetic expressions of Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, Frost, Hopkins, e.e. cummings, Madeleine L’Engle, Luci Shaw, and many others.
We empathized with the experiences of a vast array of characters.

When we read of Sydney Carton’s death for his friend, Charles Darnay, in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, we were reminded of another death–for us–and of the words of Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me shall never die.”

We shared the oral reading of God’s Word, realizing the importance of reading it well, and the need for careful preparation to understand meanings and communicate effectively literary genres, guidelines for living, promises, the majesty of God, and his great love for us.

As I remembered shared literary experiences, I was reminded of Fairlight Spencer’s words in Catherine Marshall’s Christy, “It’s today I must be livin”; and of Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and he glad in it.” Memories “hold past and present together,” but each new day is a gift to be lived to the fullest. With retirement, I have opened a new chapter in my life, with many new opportunities and joys to he experienced. There is a time for remembering, and there is a time to enjoy new experiences.

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For 39 years Professor Emerita Eleanor Paulson taught Oral Interpretation in Literature and other communications courses, and directed reading hours, recitals, and readers’ theater programs at Wheaton College. In 1985, she was honored as Alumna of the Year for “Distinguished Service to Alma Mater.” She retired last spring (1991) and is now occupied with many new activities travel, volunteer work, Bible study, church work, speaking engagements and other opportunities for service, enrichment, and spiritual growth.

This interview with Dr. Billy Graham was conducted by Wheaton College student Steve Gieser in Houston, Texas. The interview was edited from two sessions and published in the February 5, 1982, edition of The Record, the campus newspaper.

What impressed you most about your academic experience at Wheaton?

Wheaton was a tremendous time of intellectual expansion for me. I had always failed pretty miserably in my studies during high school. I was academically unprepared for Wheaton, but I soon caught on and became absolutely fascinated with some of my courses. I don’t think there was a single course that I took at Wheaton that I didn’t like.

What were your favorite courses?

I really enjoyed anthropology courses. That was my major. The professor, Dr. Alexander Grigolia, was a Russian immigrant to Germany and had two Ph.Ds and an M.D. degree. He was probably one of the most brilliant professors in anthropology in the United States at that time. He was so absorbed in his subject that many times we would label him “the absent-minded professor.” These courses helped me in my world travels. I had no idea that the Lord was preparing me through these classes to learn to adapt to different tribal situations, different cultures, and different parts of the world that I was to preach to in the years to come.

What did you do besides study?

During my second year, on the recommendation of Dr. Edman, I became pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle. About 300 students and professors came every Sunday morning and evening. Dr. Edman had been the pastor. When he became the president of Wheaton College, he asked me to take over the pastorate. They paid me $15 a week, which was a big help to me in my schooling. I was also invited to preach here and there around the Chicago area. I even tried out for the wrestling team, but I failed. I was too busy. In addition to everything else, I worked on a truck for 50 cents an hour hauling furniture.

What advice would you give students who feel God is leading them into the ministry?

I think a solid grounding in Bible is very important. If you’re going to be a pastor, you need to know your tools. Most students who plan on being pastors go to seminary. And I would encourage them to do that.

Did you go to seminary?

No. That’s the reason I advise them to do that!

Looking back, do you wish you had gone?

Well, I think the Lord planned my life. If I had gone to seminary, I might have been put in a mold. Evangelists should have a little more flexibility. But, if I had done the choosing rather than the Lord, I would have gone to seminary. I think I did miss a great deal by not going. But I try to make it up in constant study and reading.

People often criticize Wheaton students for being “sheltered from the real world.” What do you think?

I would not categorically say that they’re too sheltered. It’s an individual thing. Wheaton, for many young people, is a transition period from what might have been a sheltered home to the real world. For others, the college is too sheltered. I think especially during the freshman and sophomore years there needs to be this transition period, because we’re really not yet adults in a sense, intellectually or emotionally, and I think this is where there needs to be guidance. In the Grecian days, one man would sit and teach with his pupils around him. It was the way that the teacher lived as much as what he taught his students. They were followers of a model. One of the things missing in modern education is this model of professors. Whether or not we are sheltered depends on the model that the faculty give the student. The responsibilty of a faculty member at a school like Wheaton goes far beyond just his ability to teach or his academic background, because the student is also watching how he lives. This makes a great impression on a student.

What are some of the most significant changes you have observed since your time here as a student?

Back in the forties, when I went to school at Wheaton, the mood of the day was that science was going to solve all of the problems of the world. The secular world almost worshiped at the shrine of science. Science has proven, on the one hand, to be a great and wonderful thing. On the other hand, because of man’s heart, it has proven to be a disaster. The age of technology has burst upon us with the blast of the atomic bomb. We can now destroy the world in just a couple of hours. We have the technological breakthrough just over the horizon that could bring paradise to earth. On the other hand, that same technology could bring hell to earth. Well, those thoughts were never in our minds when I was a student. We could get glimpses, but they were only glimpses. Today they are realities. I think we should be concerned about the arms race. I am glad to see President Reagan attempting to reduce arms with the Soviet Union. I think the people on this globe live in constant fear of nuclear war, especially in Europe. And I don’t blame them.

Do you think Christians should get involved in the prevention of nuclear arms?

Yes, I think we must speak out and make our voices heard. I’m not a pacifist, and I’m not for unilateral disarmament. I don’t believe America should tear up all of its arms. But I think we should talk with the Soviets on the destruction of nuclear arms. I don’t have too much hope that they’re going to reduce arms on either side. I think there must be a total destruction. But the possibilities of that are rather slim. The only person that is really going to answer this problem is the Prince of Peace. Still, in the meantime, we as Christians ought to pursue peace.

How should we do this? Should Christians try to influence politics?

Many religious groups have been active in politics for years. I think the Moral Majority has received a lot of publicity because it was really the first time conservatives became politically active.

Do you agree with the Moral Majority?

I don’t fault the Moral Majority for being political, but I don’t agree with the fact that I, as a Christian clergyman, ought to become involved in all these areas. We in the church should set moral guidelines for our leaders, and then let these situations be worked out in guidelines that are biblically based.

Did Wheaton shape any of your views of social action?

Yes. Going to Wheaton was a big turning point in my view on racism. Because when I studied the history of Wheaton, I began to realize that it was really started as an anti-slavery school. Jonathan Blanchard was very closely identified with the early American evangelist Charles Finney and the Beecher family in Boston. Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) had a brother that was a member of the first graduating class at Wheaton. The first time I’d ever gone to school with blacks was at Wheaton. This opened my eye to the fact that we are all equal. So from the beginning of my ministry, I began to take a stand against racism which was very, very unpopular. In the early 1950s in the south, I came under severe criticism.

What would you like to see changed about Wheaton?

Well, I don’t know that much about Wheaton, and this is a terrible thing for a board member to say. First of all, I’m not very comfortable being on the board at Wheaton. I was asked by Dr. Edman. I loved and respected him so much that I accepted, with the understanding that I could rarely attend board meetings, and could not keep up with everything going on. And this has proven to be true. I feel that a board member at Wheaton ought to become involved far more than board members are involved now. I think we ought to note student feelings, and have discussions with students, have discussions with faculty members, and get the whole sense of Wheaton before we sit in a board meeting.

The press seems eager to find fault with you. What’s it like to be in the public eye?

I have to meet the press wherever I go. They’re coming to my home all the time. For instance, the other week, both CBS and ABC spent full days at my home filming. From the very beginning I’ve been in the press. And I’ve run scared. I’ve never lost my fears that I would say something wrong or do something that would bring discredit on the name of Christ. So many people that are in the public eye have what is called “foot-in-the-mouth disease.” It’s very easy to catch. The problem is that the press often misquotes what I say. I have to constantly think, how is this going to sound out of context? When I talk to a reporter, I have to keep in mind that I can never say anything “off the record.”

Over the years, you have been close friends with several of the presidents. What kind of relationship do you have with President Reagan?

We’ve been friends for over thirty years. I met him through his mother-in-law, Mrs. Davis. We were in Phoenix, and I was playing golf. Mrs. David came out on the course and asked if she could see me. So after the game, I went inside and she said she wanted me to meet her new son-in-law, who had just been married for about a year. I said, “Who is your son-in-law?” And she answered, “Ronald Reagan.” “Oh, you mean the film star?” She said, “Yes,” and introduced me to him. That fall in Dallas, Texas, he and I were co-speakers. We became friends then. Ruth and I have visited the Reagans many times at his home over the years. Of the presidents that I have known, like Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan, I was friendly with all of them before they became presidents. I met Nixon through his family. They came to nearly every evangelistic meeting held in southern California. One day I was eating with Senator Clyde Huey of North Carolina., and Senator Huey said, “There goes young Nixon from California.” I said, “Oh, I know his parents,” so he called Nixon over to our table. Nixon was very friendly and said, “I’m going to play golf and we need another partner.” So, that’s how I met him.

What do you do for relaxation?

I jog about two miles every day, even during crusades. At sixty-three, I think I’m in the best health that I’ve been in in my whole life. There’s nothing wrong with me anywhere, so far as I can tell. Except that I don’t have enough hours in the day!

In closing, what advice would you give us as students?

Well, I think the most important thing a person can get out of Wheaton is to develop habits of a devotional life of Bible study and prayer, because that will be your strength through all of your life.

Recently a small leaflet was unearthed in the faculty papers of former Professor of Theology, G. Henry Waterman. Dr. Waterman received his M.A. (1948) and B.D. (1953) from Wheaton College and Ph.D. from New York University (1966). His professional career began and ended at Wheaton. He taught Greek as a newly minted graduate from 1948-51 and later New Testament Interpretation from 1966 to his death in 1977. In the intervening years, he was a pastor in upstate New York. He taught overseas in the Philippines and was a China missionary with the C&MA church. He worked with the American Bible Society as a translation consultant and was a member of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research, Evangelical Theological Society, and a translator for the New International Version of the Bible. During his tenure at Wheaton, he taught in the shadow of notable biblical scholars and theologians such as, Merrill Tenney, Kenneth Kantzer, Carl Armerding, Millard Erickson, and Gordon Fee.

Although a small hand-written annotation ascribes the leaflet’s orgins to the Biblical, Religious, and Archaeological Studies department, the veracity of its contents titled, “A complete compilation and exposition of all the New Testament passages that support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory” can neither be confirmed nor denied…

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The Papers of G. Henry Waterman are housed in the Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections and are available for research.

Twenty years ago, the Wheaton Alumni magazine began a series of articles, titled “On My Mind”, in which Wheaton faculty told about their thinking, their research, or their favorite books and people. Head of Public Services John Fawcett ’84 (who worked at Wheaton from 1987-2008) was featured in the Winter 1995 issue.

It’s a rare day that I don’t find an announcement of a new electronic product in my pile of morning mail. CD-ROM databases, multimedia encyclopedias, online journals, World Wide Web pages–just watching all that floats by in the deluge could occupy all of my time. Many of these products are familiar to me, old friends in new guises, like information stairways that have become elevators. For example, an announcement just arrived that Historical Abstracts will eventually be available in its entirety on CD-ROM, all the way back to 1955 (we still have to search it in paper before 1982). Another flier offers us the chance (for a fee!) to search the Encyclopedia Britannica on the Internet. Other resources are tantalizingly experimental, not so predictable–information stairways that are turning into Star Trek transporters: such as a multimedia version of Beethoven’s Ninth–you can follow an analysis of the printed score while listening to the recording. Or the chance that because of congressional budget cuts, the Government Printing Office might cease producing some significant documents in printed form at all; instead, we’d have full text online access the very day they are posted.

Yet in the midst of the excitement of technological novelty, I often entertain this nagging doubt: What does it all mean? Is it possible that the glitz of the “new” beguiles us into believing we’re really making “progress”? Certainly we’re more efficient, faster, more easily quantified. But speed alone does not equal quality, nor data wisdom, nor knowledge character. As Americans, we love the pragmatic, the bold and the different, but we sometimes sacrifice our historical consciousness on the altar of innovation. This realization came home clearly to me during a presentation I recently attended by a codicologist–a scholar who studies manuscripts as cultural artifacts for their historical interest. I was amazed as I watched her open a window on the landscape of fifteenth-century France through the details of a single book its paper quality, its binding, its dedicatory page, even the stitching in its spine! Every age embodies its values in its “books,” whether preserved on vellum, parchment, paper, celluloid, or hard drive. And this embodiment means something.

We’re all familiar with the now widely accepted research that demonstrates that television profoundly shapes children’s learning styles. The MTV-generation perceives differently (for better or for worse) from the comic-book generation. If the medium is indeed the message (a la Marshall McLuhan), then the ascendancy of the computer packs quite a message! Scholars will spend years attempting to comprehend its meaning, but I’m already convinced of one thing: We must never let a computer– as great a blessing as it is when used as a tool–persuade us that cyberspace is ultimate reality. Technology has a curious way of taking on a life of its own. It seems to gain power to control our modes of existence and distract us from the fact that it is only a created thing, ephemeral and vulnerable, fragile. Its “needs” can assume near-personal dimensions.

I’ve often wondered about our culture’s subconscious dependency on electricity, for example. In the shadow of events in Sarajevo, it’s a sobering thought to consider what forms our lives would take if the sophisticated machines we take as life-companions were threatened, Would it be as great a disaster as we imagine? Or might it rend the illusory veil of power that our electronic gadgets seem to give us?

If our fundamental Christian understanding of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ tells us anything, it is that God does not despise matter, but rather redeems it through His Son. God is concerned not only with the spiritual and the abstract, but also with the physical and the concrete. He is not as interested in compressing space and time (what computers do best!) as He is with filling them. When we assume that sheerly by gaining more control over information we will become better people, we fall into one of the oldest heretical traps: the gnostic hope for salvation through disembodied knowledge. If computers are at all dangerous (and they could be), it would be in part because they contribute to this false hope. On the other hand, to ignore the potential benefits of computers would be to fall into the opposite trap: a failure to properly value technology as a redeemable aspect of the created order.

But what does all this have to do with the task of education? Much in every way! Because God in His fullest revelation of Himself came to us in person, not as a scanned image or an http:// site, our task as educators has primarily to do with persons. We certainly don’t despise our God-given ability to abstract, but we circumscribe it within the bounds of the larger reality of our souls. For me, that means that technological hard- and soft-wares, and all the skills requisite to using them, have to be placed at the service of something greater than themselves–or better, Someone Greater for Truth is a Person. It means that life in the presence of God can encompass the full range of human experience–from the task of mastering Microsoft’s latest Windows release to times of repentance and refreshing such as we experienced in the revival services on campus last spring. As I teach and work in the library, mediating historical artifacts and cutting-edge data-retrieval systems to students and faculty, that’s my challenge and my prayer.

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John Fawcett ’84 was the head of public services at Buswell Memorial Library. He received an M.A. in librarianship from the University of Chicago, and completed an M.A. in theological studies at Wheaton. In addition to his work in the Library John taught an introductory research course for students in the history department. He was also involved in ministries of prayer and healing at the Church of the Resurrection of Illinois, where he served as music coordinator. After a long battle with cancer, John William Fawcett died on May 27, 2008 at age 46.