Lady Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Great Britain and one of the premier political leaders of the 20th century, will be the keynote speaker for the second annual Union University Scholarship Banquet, scheduled for October 20, 1998.

The first Union Scholarship Banquet featured former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz as keynote speaker. The event raised more than $100,000 for scholarship support of Union students.

Lady Thatcher led Britain’s Conservative Party from 1975 until her resignation as prime minister in November 1990. She became the first woman to hold the office of prime minister and was the first British prime minister in this century to occupy the office for three consecutive terms.

"We are honored that Lady Thatcher has agreed to be our speaker for this event, which will be part of the celebration of Union’s 175th anniversary in 1998," said Union President David S. Dockery. "She is one of the key world leaders of the postwar era, and her firm advocacy of conservative political and economic principles has made her an influential leader on both sides of the Atlantic."

A graduate of the University of Oxford, Lady Thatcher worked as a research chemist before studying for the bar and becoming an attorney. She was first elected to the House of Commons in 1959. She led the Conservative Party to electoral victory in 1979 and guided Great Britain to a victorious resolution of the Falklands War with Argentina. Throughout her three terms as prime minister, Lady Thatcher opposed the socialist programs of Britain’s Labour Party and sought to reduce the role of the government in the nation’s economic and social life.

The Union Scholarship Banquet is sponsored by the university’s Board of Presidential Associates, an organization whose members support the mission and work of the university. Participation in the 1998 banquet will be available through a series of sponsorship levels, ranging from $10,000 to $1,000.

For additional information about the Scholarship Banquet and sponsorships, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at Union at (901) 661-5050 or 1-800-338-6644.

Christianity Today Features Union Art Professor

Christianity Today, one of the most widely read magazines in the evangelical Christian community, featured the commentary of Union art professor Karen Mulder on the cover of its April 6 issue. That issue also initiated her service as art editor for the national publication.

Mulder’s commentary focused on seven contemporary artists and their artwork on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

When asked about Mulder’s involvement with Christianity Today, Executive Editor David Neff said, "I’ve known Karen for a long time. She has written for Christianity Today several times. When we needed someone to act in an out-of-house editor capacity, Karen was a natural choice with her good writing skills and her strong connections with Christian artists."

Mulder is assistant professor of art and art history at Union. She came to Union in the fall of 1997 from Yale University, where she was the Menil Scholar at Yale’s Institute for Sacred Music and the Arts. Mulder grew up in Venezuela and Australia and has spoken all over the world.

Mulder is involved with the Christians in the Visual Arts organization and the C.S. Lewis Foundation. She is helping plan the arts workshops for a two-week interdisciplinary conference called "Loose in the Fire." The conference, to be held July 19 through August 1 in Oxford and Cambridge, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’ birth.

Spring Bible Conference Focuses On Apologetics

Union University’s annual Spring Bible Conference was held April 20-22. This year’s conference, titled "Standing Firm," featured speakers James E. White and Walter C. Kaiser Jr. Music was provided by Union alumnus Chuck Maxwell, program coordinator of Northbrook Church near Jackson.

According to Union Campus Minister Todd Brady, "This year’s speakers stand for truth in a society that does not react well to absolutes. Their defense of biblical truth benefits all who seek to understand Christianity’s relevance in today’s culture."

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (left) and James E. White were keynote speakers for the annual spring bible conference at Union University.

In demand as a speaker and consultant, White is the author of Opening the Front Door and the academic text, What is Truth? His newest book is titled Rethinking the Church. White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church - one of the fastest growing Southern Baptist Churches.

Less than one year ago, Kaiser assumed the presidency of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he served as the Colman M. Mockler chair of Old Testament and director of the Biblical Foundation for Ethics. Prior to joining the faculty at Gordon-Conwell, Kaiser served at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in faculty and administrative roles. He is the author of numerous publications including Ecclesiastes: Total Life and Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching.

Union University's Economic Impact
Tops $200 Million

Union has generated more than 900 jobs and had an economic impact of over $200 million over the past six years in Jackson-Madison County, according to a recent study conducted by Younger Associates of Jackson. That impact, in the view of community leaders, will make Union one of Jackson’s most strategic assets in the next century.

The six-year study took into account Union’s ongoing operations, student spending, capital expenditures, and the youth summer camp program Centrifuge, which brings in about 5,000 campers and staff members.

"The data provided in this study demonstrates what many of us already recognized: Union University is one of the most valuable assets for Jackson and Madison County as they face the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century," asserts President Dockery, Union’s president. Key findings of the analysis include:

• The ongoing operation of the university creates an economic impact of about $38 million a year in Jackson-Madison County. An additional 391 jobs are indirectly created within the local economy, as well.
• Off-campus student spending in Jackson-Madison County is estimated at $5.34 million annually, which in turn creates a total economic impact of $8.5 million and supports 186 jobs in Jackson-Madison County.
• Centrifuge, which is sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist Sunday School Board, has an estimated $1.06 million annual impact on the local economy. That spending supports a total of 37 jobs in Jackson-Madison County. Union is one of only 15 sites that houses the national summer camp program.
• Capital expenditures, which consist of expansions and improvements to Union’s campus, topped $19 million and had an economic impact of more than $31 million. This spending supported an average of 70 jobs.
• Union’s ongoing operations, student spending and Centrifuge program generate almost $900,000 in local tax revenue a year. Union’s contribution to local sales and property tax revenue topped $4 million over the last six years.

The university’s Campus Master Plan indicates that the university’s capital spending and economic impact will experience a remarkable increase. Union estimates the cost of the massive construction program will amount to well over $50 million and the total economic impact will exceed $100 million.

The university has received a series of major gifts in recent months, most of which will benefit the Campus Master Plan.

"The dramatic expansion of Union’s physical campus - coupled with Union’s emerging national profile as a leader in Christian higher education - will provide a dramatic engine to help drive Jackson’s growth and improved quality of life in the next century," explains Dockery.

Union’s current campus was designed to accommodate 1,200 students. Last year’s enrollment exceeded 2,000. The Campus Master Plan is a response to that growth.

Union To Have Ice Cream Reception at SBC

Union’s Office of Alumni Services will host a Union Alumni and Friends Dessert Reception during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. The reception will be June 9, from 9 to 11 p.m., at the Salt Lake City Marriott Hotel.

All alumni and friends of the university are invited to attend this ice cream parlor social.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the convention. Anyone wishing to purchase tickets before the convention can send a check to SBC Dessert Reception, c/o Office of Alumni Services at Union University, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.