91to Hold 8th Annual Business Symposium on March 18

Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern

Tigerville, SC—91’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship will host its 8th annual Faith at Work Business Symposium on March 18 in Turner Chapel. The event will feature lectures from Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern and former professional baseball players David and Jason Benham.

“I’m thrilled about this year’s speakers,” said Dr. John Duncan, dean of NGU’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship. “All three of these men are engaging speakers who will deliver powerful messages about how to be innovative and create value in order to impact the world for Christ in the marketplace.”

Alpern began his career with Joe Gibbs Racing in 1993 as an unpaid intern. Since then, he has held nearly every position in the front office, including overseeing consumer products, communications, and sponsorships before being named team president in 2015. Joe Gibbs Racing has seen major success during Alpern’s tenure, winning NASCAR championships in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2015, and 2019.

Alpern is also a published author, releasing “Taking the Lead-Winning Business Principles that Fuel Joe Gibbs Racing” in 2022.

“Dave Alpern lives out his dynamic Christian faith every day,” Duncan said. “He leads a team of more than 600 people at Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history.”

David and Jason Benham

David and Jason Benham have found success on and off the baseball diamond.

The brothers’ umbrella company, Benham Companies, was built to provide value in multiple spheres of the marketplace, including real estate management/sales, business consulting, tax planning, technology resource development, social entrepreneur creation, movie production, and global efficiency development.

David and Jason serve as co-chairs and founders of the Benham Foundation and Cities4Life, where their commitment to helping others continues through pro-life ministry, human-trafficking prevention, and caring for widows, orphans, and the poor. They also pioneered a new missions concept called “Missioneering,” which creates self-sustaining revenue models for overseas missions.

“David and Jason Benham have become successful entrepreneurs by applying biblical principles in all their business endeavors,” Duncan said. “They have coached and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs to help them successfully honor God through their platforms of ministry.”

The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. It will also serve as a CEVT credit for 91students.

Vandiver Serving as Associate Vice President for CMSE

Tigerville, SC—Dr. Dallas Vandiver might have a new title at 91 (NGU), but his calling remains the same.

Having served as an assistant professor of Christian Studies at 91 for the past three years, Vandiver is now helping to lead Campus Ministries and Student Engagement (CMSE) as associate vice president.

“In many ways, my role hasn’t changed much. As a professor, my aim is to make disciples of my students—to help them know Jesus, love him, and be equipped to help others do the same,” Vandiver said. “Working in CMSE, I’m now working to give oversight and strategy to the university’s discipleship efforts to help every student hear the gospel. I believe God has called me to make disciples for his glory, and that’s what we’re doing in CMSE.”

A graduate of Mississippi State University, Vandiver has a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“It is a rarity that you find someone that has grown up around collegiate ministry, has served in traveling ministry teams, has personal musical talent, has a call to teach and preach, has received terminal credentials in theology, and is willing to serve in both academic and operational needs for a university,” said CMSE Vice President Dr. Jared Thomas. “This is exactly what Dr. Vandiver brings to CMSE and NGU.”

“Dr. Vandiver brings a unique set of lived experiences and academic training to this position which will allow him to speak to both the interpersonal ministry and academic needs of the CMSE initiatives,” Thomas continued. “He is positioned well to serve in authentic ways while elevating the caliber of CMSE’s services and initiatives.”

Vandiver will help provide oversight and direction for all student ministry endeavors at NGU, including Chapel, Fount and the university’s Student Leadership Team.

“The CMSE office helps create the culture at NGU. We are nothing less, as a university, than an academic discipleship center,” Vandiver said. “So, how can we help the students be in a spiritual frame of mind to benefit from the academics and pursue others with a love for Jesus? The habits and rhythms of our weekly schedule need to be strategically oriented to help students learn what it looks like to follow Jesus and ultimately be sent out to love their neighbors and be transformational leaders for church and society. I’m excited to be involved in what is already a strong ministry.”

Vandiver said his teaching experience has provided a strong foundation for this next chapter.

“I love to shape the design of a curriculum. I’ve built nine classes since I’ve been on campus,” he said. “What we teach in chapel, fount, and what the student leadership team does in the dorms, provides students with a greenhouse to grow and become who Christ has called them to be.”

Dallas is married to Emily Vandiver. Together they have three daughters: Ruby (11), Betsy (9), and Charlotte (7).

91Hosts Law Enforcement Leaders From Across the State

Greer, SC—91 hosted more than 30 law enforcement leaders from around the state on Tuesday for a regular meeting of the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association.

The gathering featured legislative updates, topical presentations, and business discussions at NGU’s Tim Brashier Campus in Greer.

“It was an honor to host the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association,” said Dr. Marti Glass, director of adult and professional studies at NGU. “91is proud to be a resource for law enforcement and looks forward to supporting our local agencies in our degree programs, certificate programs, and specialized trainings.”

North Greenville continues to serve as a strategic partner for law enforcement officials, offering discounts and online educational opportunities for those currently serving.

“The Greer Police Department is a significant benefactor of our relationship with 91,” said Greer Police Chief Matt Hamby. “91offers tailor-made professional development seminars provided by the faculty and has established a Greer Police Department Minority Scholarship at the university. I am grateful for friendships that have developed with numerous 91faculty. Greer PD employs several 91graduates, and some have been students while working at Greer PD in a full-time capacity. NGU’s Criminal Justice program is flexible for working professionals and the faculty are invested in the student’s success.”

Richard Hensley, NGU’s regional partnership manager, said the university’s connection with law enforcement and the surrounding community remains vital.

“We want to continue to be a resource for our communities and those who serve them,” Hensley said. “We are thankful for our police officers and first responders and will continue to partner with them in strategic ways.”

To learn more about 91’s online and graduate programs, visit ngu.edu/academics.

Bahnsen Discusses Why Work Matters and Christians in The Marketplace During Talks at NGU

“Work matters because God made us to be workers and producers.”

Those thoughts from financial advisor David L. Bahnsen are the premise of his new book, “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life,” and were at the core of his messages to 91 (NGU) students, faculty, staff and friends on February 22-23.

“David Bahnsen is one of the most interesting thinkers on faith and work in the United States,” said 91Provost Dr. Hunter Baker. “I am amazed at his level of energy and his ability to remain fully plugged into markets and fully intellectually engaged as a Christian at the same time. His visit was tremendously stimulating for NGU.”

Bahnsen took part in three speaking engagements on NGU’s Tigerville campus, fielding questions and articulating a biblical theology for Christians in the workplace.

“Our work ultimately does help us provide for our families, donate to churches, and give us status amongst men, but those are not the fundamental reasons why work matters,” he said.

“God created us in his image,” Bahnsen continued. “God, as the creator of the world, who made all things from nothing, has asked us to create things from what he gave us. Work is not merely a means. It is an end.”

Bahnsen is the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing more than $5 billion in client assets.

He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business and is a regular contributor to National Review.

Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a managing director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a vice president at UBS.

Bahnsen is consistently named one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a regular lecturer for the Acton Institute and the Center for Cultural Leadership.

“I desperately pray that some part of my legacy will be making the case for Christians to be the hardest working, least mediocre, and most superlative in their chosen field,” he said, addressing students, faculty and staff in Turner Chapel on Friday morning. “When I think of all the areas where we can have an impact on our culture right now, I can think of nothing that contains more embedded power, leverage, capability and opportunity than Christians engaging their work with this grand vision—that work is the very reason we are here.”

Bahnsen elaborated on these ideas and fielded dozens of questions throughout his appearances at NGU.

“The embedded leverage, impact, and influence that we can have in the marketplace is exponentially greater than in the political sphere,” he said. “That doesn’t make the political sphere irrelevant, but we are missing opportunities as Christians if we do not engage the marketplace.

“We do not work merely digging a hole in the ground for no reason,” he added. “God cares about the subject of the work, and he cares about the object of the work. The subject and the object are always and forever personified. They are human beings. They are image bearers.”

Bahnsen is the author of several best-selling books, including “Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It,” “The Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a Post-Crisis World,” and “There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths.”

Dr. James D. Jordan, Jr., North Greenville’s Fifth President, Passes Away

Dr. James D. Jordan, Jr., North Greenville’s fifth president, died Saturday, February 17, 2024. He was 90 years old.

Born April 20, 1933, in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Jordan served as president of North Greenville College from 1981 to 1987.

A noted educator and minister, Dr. Jordan completed a bachelor’s degree in history from Furman University in 1955, graduating summa cum laude. He earned a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the University of Strasbourg in France for a year before returning to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the gospel ministry by Ashley River Baptist Church in 1956 and served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Newton, North Carolina, while completing his seminary degree.

Dr. Jordan broadened his academic interests as a graduate student in church history at Duke University from 1960 to 1963 and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Duke in 1966.

“Dr. Jordan was a highly respected educator who deployed his gifts as an academician, pastor and administrator to further the work of North Greenville,” said 91President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “One of the testaments to his leadership in Tigerville is that people he employed for our institution four decades ago are still actively serving at the university today. He built a legacy of utilizing his God-given talents and doing so with a sincere concern for others.”

Dr. Jordan joined the faculty of Oxford College of Emory University in 1963 and became an associate professor of religion at Mars Hill College in 1964. He was named associate professor of history at Georgia Southern College in 1969 before being promoted to head of the college’s department of history and geography in 1972, and to the rank of professor in 1974.

He returned to his native state in the summer of 1981 and was president of NGC for six years before moving to the presidency of Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, in 1987. He served as the Georgia Baptist Convention institution for six years. During his tenure as a Baptist higher education administrator, he was an active member of the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools. He also served on several visiting committees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges regional accrediting agency.

“Dr. Jordan was an outstanding success in engaging alumni and friends of the college and planting seeds for the future,” said Dr. Fred Payne, the college’s chief advancement officer during the Jordan presidency. “We were able to complete North Greenville’s first multi-million-dollar capital campaign, ‘Opportunity for Excellence,’ raising significant support for scholarships, housing, and other needs. Dr. Jordan and his wife were an exemplary ‘First Couple,’ smart, caring, and organized in leading the school.”

In ministerial service, Dr. Jordan was a pastor or interim pastor for churches in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He frequently preached across the region and was a sought-after inspirational speaker. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and growing roses.

Dr. Jordan is survived by his wife of 68 years, Barbara Watts Jordan; two children, Jean Jordan Misiewicz (Victor), and James “Jay” Jordan (Jackie); and two siblings, Eunice Jordan Leaird and John Lawrence “Larry” Jordan (Dorn).

A service to celebrate Dr. Jordan’s life will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, February 25, at Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 502 E. DeKalb Street, Camden, SC. Rev. John Hallman and Dr. Mike Kelly will officiate. Visitation with the family will follow the service at Westminster Hall. A private burial service will precede the celebration of life service at Lugoff First Baptist Cemetery

Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

In honor of Dr. Jordan’s life and legacy, President Fant has directed that all 91flags be flown at half-staff through sundown Sunday, February 24, 2024. A commemorative wreath has been placed at the entrance of the Donald E. Ward Executive Suite in the university’s Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center.

Financial Advisor David Bahnsen to Speak at 91February 23

Tigerville, SC—Noted financial advisor and nationally known media personality David L. Bahnsen will speak at 91 (NGU) on Friday, February 23 at 10 a.m. in Turner Chapel.

Bahnsen is the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $5 billion in client assets.

He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business, and is a regular contributor to National Review. He hosts the weekly podcast “Capital Record,” which the podcast website describes as a “weekly reinforcement for the defense of capital markets.”

Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a managing director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a vice president at UBS.

Bahnsen is consistently named one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a regular lecturer for the Acton Institute and the Center for Cultural Leadership. His daily investment commentary can be found at www.thedctoday.com and his weekly macro commentary is available at www.dividendcafe.com.

During his talk at NGU, Bahnsen will discuss his new book “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life,” which was released earlier this month.

He is also the author of several best-selling books, including “Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It,” “The Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a Post-Crisis World,” and “There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths.”

A resident of southern California, Bahnsen is a founding trustee for Pacifica Christian High School of Orange County and serves on the board of directors for the Acton Institute.

91Theatre to Present “On the Verge” February 15-24 at The Billingsley Theatre

Tigerville, SC—91 (NGU) Theatre will present “On the Verge; or The Geography of Yearning” February 15-17 and February 22-24 at The Billingsley Theatre.

The play, written by Eric Overmyer, follows Victorian explorers on an adventure that takes them to Africa, Himalaya, and Terra Incognita. The mirthful safari spins into time travel as the three sisters sojourn through the wilderness.

“I fell in love with the play and felt like it would be a great exploration for our students,” said Dr. Bess Park, 91theatre professor and director of ‘On the Verge.’ “It’s a deep look into one’s future, one’s destiny, and one’s faith—exploring what God’s plan is for us and fearlessly stepping towards that and surrendering to it.”Park said NGU’s third major production of the academic year provided a challenge for the cast and crew.

“This is a very tough production because Eric Overmyer is a master wordsmith. We spent a lot of time nailing down the pronunciations of these five and six-syllable words. The language of the play is absolutely comprehensible, but the actors and actresses have done a remarkable job of diving into that aspect of it and making it their own.”

The Cast of “On the Verge” includes Alyse Barrett (Mary), Kat Liederbach (Fanny), Keely Lyons (Alex), Dylan Thompson (Grover et al), Rebecca Panagiotacos (Mary), Rachel Forester (Fanny), Grace Turner (Alex), and Logan Stewart (Grover et al).

The show’s crew includes Cynthia Lohrmann (costume designer), David Vierow (technical assistant), Anna Faith Major (stage manager), Marnie Daniel (theatre assistant), Chappie Livdahl (assistant stage manager), Dylan Thompson (assistant sound designer), MJ Greene (projection designer), Mikey Murray (lightboard operator), Daniel Johnson (projection operator), Morgan Madden (projection operator), and Payten Anderson (sound board operator).

“On the Verge” takes the audience on an enjoyable journey that warps time and space.

“The play is set in 1888 and travels up until the 1950s,” she said. “It’s an interesting journey for the three actresses. Time and space are a little warped, but what’s occurring is pushing them toward their divine destiny. It requires a lot from the actors and performers. They have to really embrace the movement and language of space and time. There’s just a level of complexity to the show that makes it unique.”

Nightly showtimes begin at 7:30 p.m., with a special matinee performance available on February 17 at 2 p.m. are $8 for students/children, $15 for adults, and $20 for premium seating. 91students may receive one free ticket with an 91ID on the Monday of the date chosen to attend.

“It’s a fun production,” Park said. “There are so many cultural references and iconic images and music. It’s just a fun show, and audiences are really going to enjoy it.”

Christian Worldview Week Set for March 4-6 in Tigerville

Tigerville, SC (February 7, 2024) 91 (NGU) will host Christian Worldview Week March 4-6, featuring talks from Dr. Katie McCoy and Jason Thacker on “Thinking Christianly about Human Nature.”

Christian Worldview Week has been a highlight at the University for nearly two decades.

“North Greenville always takes seriously the centrality of a biblical worldview in a Christ-first education,” said Dr. Nathan Finn, executive director for NGU’s Institute of Transformational Leadership. “Christian Worldview Week provides an opportunity each spring to invite our entire community to reflect on an important topic from the standpoint of Scripture and consider how it relates to us serving as transformational leaders for church and society.”

McCoy serves as director of . She has a PhD in systematic theology and is the author of “To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond” and co-author of the volume dedicated to the doctrine of humanity in the “Theology for the People of God” series.

“Today’s college students have no shortage of messages about their identity and their purpose in life—messages that form and inform their sense of self,” McCoy said. “But they also have a remarkable opportunity to present a counter-vision of humanity to a culture that is searching for what the way of Jesus provides. I’m delighted to invest in the students of 91as they consider who they are and why they were created.”

She will be speaking on March 4 at 10 a.m. in Turner Chapel and 7 p.m. in Hamlin Recital Hall.

Thacker serves as assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College and directs the Research Institute for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He is a PhD candidate at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of “The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity,” “Following Jesus in a Digital Age,” and the editor of “The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society.”

“Technological innovation and change have become commonplace in our lives and society, yet we rarely think about how these tools are radically altering our perception of God, ourselves as human beings, and the world around us,” Thacker said. “NGU’s Christian Worldview Week is a great opportunity for all of us to think deeply about the role of technology in the Christian life and how we might chart a path of hopeful wisdom — not total embrace nor uncritical rejection. Whether we are faced with the challenges of artificial intelligence, social media, or biomedical technologies, God’s Word is more than sufficient for the task ahead as we seek to follow Jesus with both truth and grace.”

Thacker will speak on March 5 at 7 p.m. in Hamlin Recital Hall and will conclude the week on March 6 at 10 a.m. in Turner Chapel.

Dr. Murphree Claude Donnan Tribute

Murphee Claude Donnan

Dr. Murphree Claude Donnan

Born January 11, 1892, in Greer, Murphree Claude Donnan grew up in the Pelham community, reared on a farm by his mother and grandparents. By age 11, he was plowing 20 acres on his own. He attended a one-teacher grade school which was in session from December to March, before leaving at age 16 to farm full-time. He owned a 35-acre farm at the age of 22, when he felt God calling him to Christian work. Returning to eighth grade as a 23-year-old, he spent three years at Spartan Academy, briefly pausing his education to serve in World War I.

He paid his own way through Furman University, renting shares of his farm. After graduating, he married Ernestine Hawkins on August 4, 1924. Donnan enrolled at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, that fall. The Donnans’ first child, Yates, was born in 1926. The Donnans had their second child, Lois, in 1930, and their second son, Hugh, in 1933. 

As he completed a master of theology degree in the spring of 1928, Dr. Donnan received a telegram offering the post of principal at North Greenville Baptist Academy. 

When Dr. Donnan became principal, the academy had 12 acres, an administration building with eight classrooms, a boys’ dormitory, a girls’ dormitory, and use of an adjacent farm. Roads from Tigerville to Greer and Travelers Rest were unpaved, and the party-line telephone system was out of service most of the time. The campus water and electricity services were unreliable. The young principal declared the summer of 1930 brought “the dawn of a new day,” as a power line and gravel roadways reached the campus. That was followed by an economic depression and struggles to keep the academy operating. 

“Without making a study of the facts as to the future of North Greenville, I accepted the place believing and trusting that the Lord was leading.” 

“Mr. Donnan was a real leader in a time of need and he is more responsible than anyone I know for pulling the school through those perilous years.” 

Professor W.D. Mitchell

North Greenville Baptist Academy faculty 

During his second year as principal, Donnan navigated the academy through the discontinuation of Southern Baptists’ mountain mission schools. He and the academy’s trustees pressed forward, supported by the North Greenville Baptist Association. 

One of Donnan’s first capital projects was the erection of a dairy barn on the back of the campus in 1930. He secured donated materials and free labor. There would be an operating dairy on the campus, employing students, until 1957. Many students paid their board and tuition by farm work and other campus jobs. 

“In his early days as head of the school, Dr. Donnan was in direct charge of the farming operation and spent many days in the fields. … His versatility and physical energy have meant the difference between continuing the school or closing it. When he became principal he was in fact chief engineer, caretaker and farm overseer in addition to being the administrative head of the school.” 

Rev. James W. Crocker

Class of 1943

“I don’t think I have been a college president as we ought to think of a college president.” 

donnan administrative building

Donnan Administration Building

Academy trustees voted August 4, 1934, to offer a year of college work through North Greenville. Dr. Donnan became the institution’s first president and 22 students enrolled for the fall session. The junior college added sophomore class offerings in 1935, and the college’s first graduation, in the spring of 1936, consisted of nine graduates.

The institution grew in physical facilities and academic strength under Donnan’s leadership. A new campus auditorium was built in 1933, connected to the administration building. White Hall for women opened in 1937. Neves Dining Hall was completed in 1944, and a science building was constructed in 1946, along with faculty homes and apartments for married students. A new gymnasium and faculty apartments opened in 1950. Donnan Administration Building was constructed in 1955, followed by Turner Auditorium in 1958, along with Lawton Hall men’s dormitory. A new women’s dormitory, Simpson Hall, was completed in 1961, and Crain Science Building opened in 1962. 

The Donnan Administration Building was critical to the academic growth of the college. With spacious classrooms and a well-equipped library, the building signaled academic stability. The permanent library facilities were the final step in North Greenville earning accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1957.  

“Sometimes God answers prayers on purpose, so we had better be careful what we ask.” 

“Dr. Donnan enjoys the unique privilege and rare opportunity to be able to build in stone, mortar, and human lives.” 

H.J. Howard

NGJC faculty

Dr. Donnan received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Furman University in 1948. He stepped down from the presidency in August 1962, at the age of 70. During his tenure, North Greenville grew to a college campus of nearly 800 acres, a student enrollment of more than 500, and about 30 faculty. NGJC had 120 graduates in the spring of 1962. Upon reluctantly accepting his resignation, the trustees voted to name Dr. Donnan “President Emeritus.” The Donnans moved to a 32-acre site in Greer. While he did not farm the land, he had pasture with a spring and had “just enough” beef cattle “for a little entertainment.” He died on August 1, 1976, at the age of 84, just three days before his 52nd wedding anniversary. 

“We are grateful to you, Dr. Donnan, for the unending sacrifices you have made – in gathering about you a group of men and women whose hearts God hath touched, who have placed the love of humanity above the love of silver and gold, who have labored tirelessly with you in planting the roots of our school deep in the hears of people. … Thank you for your great faith, our belief in prayer, your kind and sympathetic heart that never turned away a worthy one from your door.” 

Rev. Raymond L. Pinson (At dedication of Donnan Administration Building)

Class of 1940, North Greenville Alumni Association President 
“To think of North Greenville is to think of Dr. Donnan, and to think of Dr. Donnan is to think of North Greenville.” 

Rev. M. Floyd Hellams

Class of 1952

“With our increased responsibilities, we must remember to increase our praying.” 

“Murphree Claude Donnan is a man without whom this school simply would not be. … Most of his life he gave to the service of young people, because he believed in young people and he believed the world needed the young people he served. … It was potential that thrilled him, not obvious and completed achievement.” 

Dr. Lloyd E. Batson

Class of 1943
“His relationship with his family was one of warmth and love, for he was not a self-centered person but was always concerned with the needs of others. His love for his family, college students, and north Greenville College could not be expressed in words.” 

Lois Donnan Hinds 

“He will be appreciated and thanked for years to come for his superior qualities of leadership and Christian service, as reflected in the impact that North Greenville students have made throughout the world. … He has guarded our Baptist heritage and has never been apologetic for operating a college which is Christian or Baptist.” 

Rev. A. Howard Wilson

Board Chairman, July 1962

91Hosts Scholars Weekend For Top Student Prospects

Tigerville, SC (February 5, 2024) Sixty-six prospective students competed for 91’s (NGU) highest merit scholarships during Scholars Weekend in Tigerville.

The invitation-only event was held January 26-27 and featured interviews with faculty, staff, and alumni; campus tours; a facilitated group discussion; and a dinner with 91President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr.

“Scholars Weekend is an important part of our academic calendar,” President Fant said. “It provides us with an opportunity to build relationships and connect with some very bright students that will soon be joining us and continuing the tradition of academic excellence on our campus. We are excited to see what God has in store for this group students as they become the transformational leaders we know they will be.”

“Scholars Weekend is a great event,” added Katie Lynn Marshall, director for traditional admissions at NGU. “It’s a big deal to the students and their families, who are invited to attend. It’s an opportunity for students to come and put their best foot forward, with the hope that they’ll be chosen to receive one of our top awards.”

As a group, the candidates maintained an average weighted GPA of 4.9, an average ACT score of 29 and an average SAT score of 1300.

“They are all bright and well-accomplished,” Marshall said. “It was neat hearing each of their stories and seeing how they each contributed to conversations throughout the weekend.”

As part of the competition, the students were asked to put their skills to the test through participation in a collaborative group project.

“The students who come to Scholars Weekend are always excellent, and the event is designed to highlight their individual achievements, interests, and desires,” said Dr. Nathan Finn, executive director for NGU’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. “We felt like it would be helpful to put these high-achieving students into groups where they must collaborate with others to accomplish a creative task. The group projects turned out to be a smashing success. The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with several of them noting it was their favorite part of the event.”

The students competed to receive NGU’s most prestigious academic awards, including several full-ride scholarships designed to allow recipients to graduate debt-free.

“We don’t take this process lightly, and we know the scholarships will help set the selected students up for success as they begin their journey at North Greenville,” Marshall said. “We’re honored to have been able to spend the weekend with such a wonderful group of young men and young women and can’t wait for them to join us at 91this fall.”

Living Their Dream on the Sidelines and in the Studio

Mary Margaret Ellison

Tigerville, SC (January 31, 2024) Two 91 School of Communication alumni are of sports broadcasting and reporting at two television stations in the southeast.

Mary Margaret Ellison (’22) is a sports reporter for KALB-TV (NBC) in Alexandria, Louisiana. The Easley, SC native dreamed of being a sportscaster when she was young. She spent her years at 91bouncing between various on-air and production roles in the School of Communication, 91Athletics, and freelance media and internship work across upstate South Carolina.

“I’m getting to do things I never thought I would. I get to cover LSU…I get to cover the Saints…I’ve always wanted to be a sports reporter and being able to live this dream…It allows me to dream bigger and see where I can go next,” Ellison said.

Kasie Thomas

One state away, Ellison’s 91 classmate Kasie Thomas (’22) is also living her version of the dream, but on the sidelines of Ole Miss, Jackson State and dozens of high schools and arenas in the competitive sports scene of Jackson, Mississippi.

Thomas, originally from Wetumpka, Alabama, is a weekend sports anchor and reporter for WLBT-TV (NBC) in Jackson, responsible for producing and presenting highlights through the busiest parts of the sports week and covering individual athlete stories the rest of the time. Shortly after graduating, Thomas said she knew she’d arrived as a professional journalist when she attended SEC Media Days in Atlanta the summer before the fall football season.

“I’m interviewing coaches that I saw on TV growing up. I’m standing in front of these people. They’re looking me in my eyes, and I’m like ‘What?…This is crazy. I can’t believe I get to do this’…it was so exciting,” Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Ellison were part of the School of Communication’s Broadcast Journalism class their senior year, fall of 2021, producing weekly stories and newscasts for Vision TV online.

“The TV news students do it all–pitching stories, shooting video and interviews, writing scripts, editing video and producing and presenting a live broadcast every week. It’s demanding,” said Dr. Randall E. King, Associate Dean for the School of Communication.

“But it’s also incredibly rewarding to see them put a newscast together. Five students made it through to the end of the semester and five–100 percent of them–landed full-time jobs in broadcast news after graduation. And they’re in good company because we have many more School of Comm alumni working in local media all over the southeast,” King said.

Thomas, who admitted the class was a struggle at times, said she is still grateful for her experiences. “As much as I hated having a package (TV news story) every single week, the repetition really helps…making sure you’re writing, having all your scripts…it truly helps because now I do that every day.”

Both young professionals credit 91with helping them grow in more ways than just media skills. They say their faith in God sustains them in the pressure-filled work environments.

“You can feel the Lord everywhere…North Greenville in general…and being able to be there and feel the Lord’s presence there…and seeing Christ work in me and transferring that to them is probably the best part,” Ellison said.

“Through North Greenville, I became stronger in my faith, and that translated into my job, without even thinking about it—trust God, have faith in what He’s doing and His plan,” Thomas said.

Although they get to work on some of the biggest stages in college and professional sports, Thomas and Ellison say they enjoy reporting the smaller stories the most, featuring high school athletes who compete for the love of the game, their families and communities.

“Mary Margaret and Kasie represent what we hope for all of our communication students–to fall in love with telling stories and connecting with the people behind those stories. That’s how they become transformational leaders in their world – one person, one story at a time,” King said.

McDonald Announces Retirement From Athletics Leadership

Tigerville, SC (January 26, 2024) 91 Director of Athletics Jan McDonald will retire on May 31, 2024. The long-time administrator announced her decision to the university’s athletics staff on Friday, January 26.

When she steps down, McDonald will have served with 91Athletics for 41 years, including more than three decades as director. She joined the school in 1983 as an assistant and began North Greenville’s softball program in 1985, leading that program for 18 years. Over her career in Tigerville, she has taught an array of courses, served as an assistant volleyball and basketball coach, and also started the women’s soccer program in 1986.

“Jan McDonald has invested her entire career at North Greenville and it is a career marked by care and concern for our students, and dedication to helping them prepare for life beyond college,” said 91President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “Her passion for coaching young people in a Christ-centered community has benefitted our university in manifold ways over the past four decades. We are grateful for her commitment to our mission and look forward to joining together to celebrate her career later this semester.”

“I have been very fortunate,” McDonald said of her 91tenure. “Just to be here this long is one thing, but to have been surrounded by such a great team of colleagues has been another. The many people I worked with made me look good. But now I just feel like it is my time to step aside. I’m grateful to the administration for the wonderful opportunity I’ve had to serve and look forward to seeing what’s next. I believe the future of 91athletics is bright!”

As director of athletics, McDonald guided 91through transitions from junior college competition to the NAIA, the NCCAA, and into NCAA Division II. The university fields 20 varsity sports teams and is a member of Conference Carolinas, with 91football transitioning from the Gulf South Conference to Conference Carolinas over the next two seasons. 91has constructed or renovated all athletics facilities during her tenure as director. The university’s softball field was named in her honor in 2016.

A native of Fountain Inn, SC, McDonald earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Erskine College and a master’s degree in health and exercise science from Furman University.

The university will announce plans for naming McDonald’s successor in the coming days.