Two beloved members of the Lipscomb family who died last week — former professors Dr. Bill Collins and Dr. Oliver Yates — will long be remembered for what they did for their students, colleagues and the university.
Dr. Collins died Jan. 21 at the age of 71, Dr. Yates on January 24 at the age of 79.
Dr. Yates first came to Lipscomb as a freshman in 1952, and he remained at Lipscomb until his death. “He taught thousands of students during a career that lasted nearly 55 years,” wrote Kent Gallaher, chair of the biology department. “[he] made a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of health-care professionals who did their undergraduate training at Lipscomb from the late 1950’s though 2010.”
Like many others who were touched by Dr. Yates’ life, Gallaher spoke very highly of him. “Along with Dr. Paul Langford, he laid the foundation for the successful pre-med program we enjoy today.”
Lipscomb provost, Craig Bledsoe, said Dr. Yates has left a lasting legacy.
“Through his work, Lipscomb became the place to be to train for a health-related career,” Bledsoe wrote. “He personally trained hundreds of students who would go on to become highly successful doctors, dentists, nurses, veterinarians, and others who chose to devote their lives to caring for others.”
Bledsoe talked about how Dr. Yates not only touched the lives of students, but he also was extremely involved in bettering the community.
Professor Collins came to Lipscomb as a staff member in 1985, and he retired in May 2012. Dr. Collins was a philosophy professor but was part of the Bible department until 1999.
In an article published on the Lipscomb homepage, Richard Goode, associate professor of history and chair of the Department of History, Politics and Philosophy spoke of Dr. Collins’ ability to connect with his philosophy students.
“Students who registered for Bill’s classes signed up for an engaging conversation with some of history’s great thinkers, wrestling together with some of humanity’s persistent and relevant questions,” Goode said. “The course syllabus may have focused on ancient Greek philosophers or contemporary intellectuals, but by the end of the term students realized that their own hearts and minds had turned toward wisdom. Simply stated, Bill personified the art of philosophy.”
Many different professors spoke of the value Dr. Collins had, and remembered him for his devotion to philosophy as well as to his students. Professor of history Jerry Gaw said in an article on the Lipscomb homepage that, “he was a steady, non-judgmental advisor in an unsteady, biased society, who put God, the church, and his family ahead of the ever-changing world. It was a blessing to have known and worked with Bill.”
Galllaher noted the impact that both professors had on their departments as well as the Lipscomb community.
“I would encourage any current student to think about that one special professor on our campus that they can point to as the person who has impacted their personal, academic, and spiritual development the most, and then imagine that faculty member had just died,” Gallaher wrote. “Our community has lost giants recently, Swang (Dr. Axel Swang, who died Jan. 8, at the age of 91), Collins, and Yates…. Who could possibly count the lives that those men touched for Christ?”