church several times. As the men considered different names, Tyler thought of his evangelist friend. "I just felt impressed that it was time to mention Paul Dixon. 1 mentioned him to our men, and 1 am sure they were shocked with the initial suggestion that someone who was an evangelist would be suggested as potential for the presidency of Cedarville College."2 Jeremiah, while recognizing Dixon as a worthy candidate, admitted, "I did not want to see him leave evangelism. There were not very many evangelists in the G.A.R.B.C. accomplishing a whole lot, and he was!"3 Tyler felt there were a number of excellent reasons for suggesting Dixon. I knew his great ability with young people. I also knew that he was a man who had real spiritual leadership capabilities, a good positive attitude, good public relations potential, and he was an individual who knew the college quite well by virtue of his living in the town and his wife teaching at the schoo1. 4 Tyler knew that as a part of his evangelistic ministry, Dixon frequently spoke to major league baseball and football teams. This contact with professional athletes would certainly appeal to college young people. After the three men discussed Dixon's name, someone suggested a phone call. The committee was meeting in President Jeremiah's office. Engelmann went to the telephone and dialed the Dixon residence. Providentially, Dixon was still at home, though he was scheduled to leave in a few hours for a meeting with his friend Phil Niekro, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. He was to be gone several days because of evangelistic meetings in Florida. The Dixons were seated around the breakfast table when the phone rang. To his wife's inquiry of what the New President Committee might want with him, Dixon replied, "I assume they want me to give them names of prospective presidents whom they might consider."s When Dixon walked into the college executive office, he was met with a surprise. He was told the men had been discussing names for the future president and that his name had been suggested. It really knocked me over! My response was, you're crazy! How in the world can you ask someone to be president of something that is going 150 miles an hour, who has never led anything? The only thing I have ever led is my own personal iife and my family. I've never pastored a church. I've never had that kind of responsibility.6 That initial meeting lasted approximately one hour. At the conclusion it was determined that a second meeting with the entire Search 148/Chapter XVIII The inauguration of Dr. Dixon during Homecoming 1978, in which he shared his vision for Cedarville College.