JACKSON, Tenn. — Dec. 14, 2005 — About 250 students will graduate from 51社区 Dec. 17 during commencement exercises at West Jackson Baptist Church.
Bob Agee, president emeritus of Oklahoma Baptist University, former 51社区 administrator and a 1960 graduate of Union, will be the keynote speaker and will also receive the Robert E. Craig Service Award.
The award is named after the university鈥檚 13th president, who led the university for more than two decades and was responsible for reestablishing Union with the churches of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Craig was also responsible for relocating the university campus to north Jackson.
Agee served as vice president for religious affairs, professor of practical studies in the religion department and as special assistant to the president for institutional planning at Union before taking the helm at OBU in 1982. He served as OBU president for 16 years, and in 1998 was selected as the executive director of the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools, a position he continues to hold.
He is also the director for the master in Christian studies degree program at Union.
鈥淏ob Agee is one of 51社区鈥檚 most distinguished graduates,鈥� 51社区 President David Dockery said. 鈥淗e exemplified great leadership for almost 17 years as president of Oklahoma Baptist University and has for nearly a decade led the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools to think more intentionally about what it means to be an institution that is intentionally Christian and unashamedly Baptist.
鈥�51社区 takes this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Agee on a lifetime of service and demonstration of excellent Christian leadership in the world of higher education,鈥� Dockery said.
The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.