Torch, Fall 2003

classrooms, and computer labs, Dr. Brown watched, tears streaming down his face. Afterward, he would remember that his thoughts were of the faculty, some of whom lost a lifetime of teaching materials and research. Early the next morning, as he met with his administrative council to plan the next steps, the air was expectant. “We were mapping out what to do in the next 24 to 48 hours, to get back to the business of educating students,” one administrator recalled. “Everybody was tired, but nobody was defeated.” Dr. Brown’s sense of humor showed itself that morning as he related how he had informed the College’s executive director of operations that the trustees, just two days before the fire, had approved the director’s promotion to vice president for operations. Dr. Brown said, “I told him, ‘Congratulations. Now what are you going to do about this mess?’” From that meeting developed the first of many plans to get through the day, the week, and the rest of the semester while continuing classes and “business as usual” as much as possible. While the fire caused some inconveniences — classes met in every nook and cranny on campus until a trailer village sprang up to provide at least minimal educational facilities — the College community seized the opportunity to implement much of its 20-year development plan, a plan Dr. Brown had spearheaded. Eighteen months later, students moved into a rebuilt Administration Building and a new library and saw a number of other campus improvements that had not been expected for many years. The fire and “new” Bryan College campus are perhaps the most visible evidence of Dr. Brown’s leadership, but his influence is felt throughout the campus, from the worldview education emphasis to new programs and facilities. Under his leadership, the College began the Aspire degree completion program, the worldview experience weekend outreach, and the Center for Law and American Government. The worldview experience uses teams of students to present the three major worldviews — Theistic, Naturalistic, and Transcendental — to high school students and to help them understand that popular media is permeated with worldview messages. Christian young people are challenged to sharpen analytical skills and develop the ability to think biblically about the challenges they face in a Postmodern world. (Worldview has become such a key word at Bryan College that students have been heard to tell their peers, “If you don’t know the answer, just say ‘worldview.’”) About the same time in the mid-1990s, Bryan College began hosting The Summit at Bryan College, an adjunct to The Summit in Colorado. This intensive two-week on-campus won the Teacher of the Year award from the student body. His classes were filled with solid biblical information, but were accompanied by God’s ethical mandate — Scripture was given not only to fill our minds, but to change the way we live. He began a discipleship group with some young men that endured for years, through several generations of students. With his friend Dr. Phillips, he developed the biblical worldview program for which Bryan College has become well-known. In 1988, Dr. Brown was named academic vice president. As the top academic officer, he brought a renewed emphasis on the unity and coherence of all of God’s truth, operating under the principle that as Christians we are to be stewards of our minds, and we are to show our love for God by the excellence of our work. In 1993, Dr. Brown was named president of Bryan College. He brought with him a love for people, particularly for students, a love that “Professor” Brown didn’t forget when he became “President” Brown. Countless students have expressed the sentiment that he knew their names, even when they were new on campus. On Sunday, February 6, 2000, all of his leadership qualities were put to the test. Shortly after 6 p.m., a fire was discovered on the third floor of Bryan’s main academic and administrative building. As the flames spread from room to room, incinerating faculty offices, Fall 2003 / TORCH 5 continued on page 13 Editor’s Note: Tom Davis, the director of public information at Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., has graciously written this next article for Torch . In his article, Davis reflects on Bill Brown’s years at Bryan. The Record Book of a Visionary