Lasting legacy
ASU-Beebe chancellor retires after 50 years
For the first time in 50 years, Eugene McKay is no longer an employee of Arkansas State University-Beebe. After touching the lives of many students and faculty as professor, residence-hall parent, vice chancellor and — for the past 20 years — chancellor, McKay retired last week.
Dignitaries, faculty, staff and friends — many of whom worked or learned under McKay’s leadership at ASU-Beebe — expressed their thanks to the outgoing chancellor Friday at a retirement reception held in the newly named Dr. Eugene McKay Student Center on ASU-Beebe’s campus.
“When we were talking about what to do and what would be a fitting tribute, I don’t think there’s one any greater than the naming of this building — the building that students spend a great deal of time in, the building that the community spends a great deal of time in, that our faculty and staff spend a great deal of time in,” said Chuck Welch, president of the Arkansas State University System. “It’s one of the very few buildings that everyone who attends ASU-Beebe — or even attends an event at ASU-Beebe — is likely to be in. It’s important they realize the person who in large part is the reason the facility exists and the reason that the programs exist.”
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in
BEEBE— Arkansas State University-Beebe unveiled a new spirit character for the school’s new mascot, the Vanguard. Chad Miller of Beebe designed the spirit character and won a design contest administered by the college.
The new Vanguard mascot pays tribute to the first newspaper publication on campus, which started publishing around 1951. A vanguard is a group of people who lead the way to new developments or ideas and has a special meaning for students, faculty and staff in “leading the charge” in education.
Miller’s depiction of the Vanguard is a stylized knight charging forward with sword drawn on a white horse. There is also a front-facing version of the character. The character is drawn in the university’s new official colors.
For winning, Miller was awarded a $250 cash prize, along with spirit merchandise and recognition. Miller is an adviser for the Baptist Collegiate Ministries organization on the ASU-Beebe campus.
“I am very honored to have my design chosen as the official mascot logo for ASU-Beebe,” Miller said. “Art has always been a special hobby of mine, and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to use it. I have grown to love the students at ASU-Beebe, and it’s a great privilege to have my design represent them.”
The Vanguard mascot design contest was announced in late August with submissions due Oct. 1. The contest was open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Each of the four campuses had its own judging panel comprised of students, faculty and staff. The final design was approved by ASU-Beebe administration.
“Each judging panel did a
great job of providing input and giving opinions on each design. They were all very passionate about the new mascot,” said Arch Jones, director of the Student Center and Student Activities. “It was clear to see this mascot was a unifying symbol for all of our campuses.”
Jones led the judging-panel discussion on each campus and said selection of the winning design was unanimous.
“It was a design that all campuses agreed upon and were very excited about,” he said.
The mascot design will be part of the university’s brand image. A mascot standards guide is being developed to ensure that the mascot is accurately represented with each use. The mascot will be printed on clothing and specialty items sold exclusively in the bookstores of the ASU-Beebe campuses, and used by student organizations and intramural sports.
A costumed character for the Vanguard is being created and should be ready by spring.
Arkansas State University-Beebe, established in 1927, is the oldest two-year college in the state. ASU-Beebe is an operationally separate, two-year institution of the Arkansas State University System. With campuses in Beebe, Heber Springs and Searcy, and at the Little Rock Air Force Base, the university offers associate degrees, certificates and noncredit training for business and industry. The Beebe campus collaborates with Arkansas State, a four-year university in Jonesboro, to offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees on the Beebe campus.
For more information about ASU-Beebe or programs offered, call (501) 882-3600 or visit www.asub.edu.