Friday, May 13, 2011

SBU Awarded Two Honorary Doctorates on Founders Day

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing & Communications
417-328-1803 / ssmith@sbuniv.edu

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University celebrated Founders’ Day with a formal chapel program on Wednesday, May 11, at 10 a.m. in Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar campus. Dr. C. Pat Taylor, SBU president, delivered the address.

During the program two honorary doctorates were awarded. Missouri National Guard State Chaplain (Colonel) Gary Gilmore ’79 presented Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Lanier Carver to SBU for an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, and Assistant to the SBU President Ashley Dinwiddie presented Brigadier General Parker Campbell Thompson ‘46 to SBU for an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.

PHOTO: left to right Missouri National Guard State Chaplain (Colonel) Gary Gilmore ‘79, Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Lanier Carver, SBU President C. Pat Taylor, Brigadier General Parker Campbell Thompson ’46, and Assistant to the SBU President Ashley Dinwiddie.
A tribute to the late Dr. Ellen Bell was made by Dr. C. Pat Taylor.

Biographies of Honorary Doctorate Recipients

Chaplain Douglas Lanier Carver
 
A native of Rome, Georgia, Chaplain Douglas L. Carver became the 22nd Chief of Chaplains, United States Army, on July 12, 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a Master of Divinity Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. An ordained Southern Baptist minister, he has pastored churches in several states.
In June 1973 he was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate and appointed as a Regular Army Officer in the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army. After serving on active duty for six years, he resigned his commission to enter the ministry. He was subsequently commissioned as an Army Chaplain in June 1984.   His Field Artillery assignments included serving as a Forward Observer, Assistant Executive Officer, Executive Officer, Battery Commander, Brigade Fire Support Officer, and Personnel Officer with the 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Chaplain Carver’s previous assignments include serving as the 22nd Deputy Chief of Chaplains, United States Army, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC; the Director of Training, United States Army Chaplain Center and School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina; CJTF-7 Chaplain, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Baghdad, Iraq; V Corps Chaplain, Heidelberg, Germany; Deputy Command Chaplain, United States Army, Europe (USAREUR), Heidelberg, Germany; Installation Chaplain, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Division Chaplain, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Career Management Officer, Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Pentagon; Assistant Training and Doctrine Command Chaplain (TRADOC), Fort Monroe, Virginia; Assistant Staff Chaplain, Mannheim Military Community, Mannheim, Germany; 3rd Brigade Chaplain, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and Eagle Support Brigade and 29th Transportation Battalion Chaplain, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.   His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Staff Identification Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Ranger Tab. Chaplain Carver is a recipient of the Clyde T. Francisco Preaching Award (1982) from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In 1995 he received the Witherspoon Chaplain’s Award from the Layman’s National Bible Association for outstanding service rendered by a military chaplain in the promotion of Bible reading and study among military families. 

Chaplain Carver and his wife, Sunny, have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Brigadier General Parker Campbell Thompson ‘46

BGEN Parker Campbell Thompson is a native of St. Louis, Missouri.  He attended high school in St. Louis and then enrolled at Southwest Baptist College receiving an Associate of Arts in 1946.  He completed his undergraduate degree at William Jewell College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948.  In 1951, he earned the Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in 1980 from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.  His military education included US Army Chaplain’s School, Basic, Company, Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

BGEN Thompson served three years in the Infantry and his chaplain service began in 1952 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.  He then served with the 3rd Infantry Division in Korea where he was wounded and decorated.  Following duty at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Ft. Knox, Kentucky, he served with the 3rd Armor Division in Germany.  Following another tour at Ft. Leonard Wood, he was assigned to the Berlin Brigade.  In 1967 he was Division Chaplain of the 1st Calvary Division in Vietnam where he was wounded again, and in 1968 served as the Division Chaplain of the 25th Infantry Division. Other assignments following Vietnam were Director of the Non-Resident Department of the Chaplain’s School, Post Chaplain at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, and Command Chaplain of the Test and Evaluation Command with sites from Ft. Greely, Alaska to Ft. Clayton, Panama.

A heavily decorated officer, BGEN Thompson was awarded the Legion of Merit (1 Oak Leaf Cluster); Bronze Star with “V” Device for Valor (2 OLC); Purple Heart (1 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC); WWII Occupation Medal with Germany Bar; National Defense Service Medal (1 OLC); Korean Service Medal (3 Campaign Stars); Vietnam Service Medal (4 Campaign Stars); United Nations Korean Medal with Korea Bar; Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Bar and the Republic of Korea Service Medal.  He received military unit  awards for Army Meritorious Unit Citation; Korean Presidential Unit Citation; Greek Gold Medal for Bravery; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation and Republic of Vietnam Civic Action Honor Medal Unit Citation.  In addition, he received civilian honors including the Knight’s Cross, Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which is the oldest Order of Chivalry in Europe.  Since 1058 A. D., the Knight’s Cross  has designated knighthood. He also received The Chapel of the Four Chaplains’ Hall of Heroes Medal.

Since his retirement from military service in 1980, he has served as pastor of two churches in Virginia, currently serving at North Fork Baptist Church in Purcellville.  Also, he is an author, editor, researcher, and he taught classes in Chaplain History for ten years at the United States Army Chaplain’s Center and School in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey.

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