'"Mtetheid
Volume 8. Number 4
MONTREAT- ANDERSON
COLLEGE
December 1, 1984
Who?
by Mindy Clinard
Since 1934, outstanding stu
dents have been included in the
annual Who’s Who directories.
This elite group of students are
selected from more than 1,500 in
stitutions of higher learning in all
50 states, the District of Columbia,
and several foreign nations.
Students selected this year from
Montreat-Anderson College are:
Amy Bowlin, Danny Hardesty,
John Hinson, Mindy Maden, Carla
Newman, Somboun Sengsy, Paula
Shillinglaw, Brenda Sloan, Jenny
Stallings, and James Tuten. These
ten students will be included in the
1985 edition of Who’s Who Among
Students In American Junior Col
leges and will represent M-AC as
national campus leaders.
Students are selected on the
basis of academic achievement,
service to the community, leader
ship in extracurricular activities
and potential for continued suc
cess. Each campus has a chosen
nominating committee to review
students and select potential can
didates. The editors of the annual
directory make the final decision
as to whether or not the names will
be included.
Being selected into Who’s Who
is definitely an honor. These
students have demonstrated
leadership abilities in each of the
required areas. Congratulations
are in order to each of them.
Meet the Man from East Texas
Bill Schieche
Have you ever wondered about
our college chaplain Dr. Calvin
Thfelman? What kind of a man he
is and why he came to Montreat?
Well I did. So I interviewed him and
discovered an interesting story.
Let me tell you.
Calvin was born August 15,1930,
on a rural farm in Lamar County,
Texas. His father was Charles H.
Thielman, a farmer and the son of
two German immigrants. Calvin’s
father passed away when Calvin
was only fourteen months old.
After this the family stayed with
Calvin’s grandfather until he died
in 1936.
Calvin’s mother was left to raise
the family. She was a very devoted
Christian and brought the family
up in the church. Calvin was im
pressed by her faith and at the age
of fourteen made a commitment to
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of
his life. But at this time Calvin had
no intentions of going into the
ministry.
Calvin’s high school years were
quite interesting. He was very ac
tive in school activities. He played
football and excelled in the sport.
During his senior year he was
elected class president. All
through his high school years
Calvin continued to attend church
and Sunday school and planned to
go on to college to pursue a career
in politics.
Calvin did go on to college at a
state junior college in 1948. His
funds were provided by a football
scholarship. He took classes in the
areas of law and politics, totally re
jecting the idea of the ministry. He
was elected president of the
freshman class and then president
of the entire student body.
He finished his two years of
junior college and then transfered
to West Texas State University for
two more years. During these two
years a lot happened in Calvin’s
life. Calvin worked for an elderly
woman who provided him with
room and board. It was this woman
who had a great impact on Calvin’s
life. She told Calvin he should be
more sincere about his faith in
Christ.
At this time in Calvin’s life, he
realized he was not totally com-
mited to Christ as Lord. In his own
words, “That’s when the big
change came” and “if the Lord
was to be Lord 1 had to do whatever
He said and surrender my life to do
His will and not mine.” Calvin had
been studying law up to this point,
but now he knew the Lord had call
ed him into the ministry, so his em
phasis switched to Bible study and
ministry.
Another change in Calvin’s life
during college was his marriage to
his wife, Dorothy, also from Texas.
After Calvin graduated from West
Texas State University he went on
to Columbia Seminary and became
an ordained minister. He then serv
ed as a temporary minister for a
small church.
During his years at college
Calvin had worked for his personal
friend Senator L. B. Johnson (who
later became President Johnson)
several times and had been offered
a job in Washington, but Calvin
knew the Lord had called him into
the ministry, so he gave up his
political career.
Over the years Calvin has met
many important people. One of
these. Dr. Billy Graham, was very
influential in Calvin’s decision to
come to Montreat. Calvin visited
Montreat briefly, then left to study
at the University of Edinborough.
While there he studied under Dr.
James Stewart, a very well-known
man of God.
After leaving Edinborough in
1961, Calvin returned to Montreat
to work as a research assistant to
Dr. Graham. He worked with the
Billy Graham Evangelical Associa
tion for a year and a half. Then in
August of 1962 Calvin became the
minister to the Montreat Presby
terian Church and the Chaplain of
the college.
See “ EAST TEXAS » P. 7