Longtime Austin College faculty member, associate dean, and registrar J. Forrest Bryant, 97, died October 16 in Sherman. A 1941 graduate of the College, he returned in a professional capacity in 1948 and remained until his retirement in 1977. Further details about his Austin College career and funeral arrangements will be posted as available on the Austin College Web page. Share your condolences and remembrances.
It would be hard to overestimate the contribution made by Forrest Bryant in the implementation on a new curriculum and calendar which moved AC to a new level of recognition and also made it appeal to a more diverse range of students. When I arrived in the fall of 1967, Forrest explained to us newcomers how the 4-1-4 calendar differed from the one we were accustomed to, in which students took a mixture of 3-hour and 4-hour courses. All students took 4 courses in fall term and 4 in spring, with all courses counting the same. The real kicker was something called a "JanTerm," in which students took one course and faculty taught one course, which might include travel abroad or an internship. That kind of opportunity proved to be so valuable that we still do it today.
ReplyDeleteIt was Forrest who had to explain repeatedly to skeptical registrars at other colleges that our courses were really worth 4-hours credit when transferred, and also what a Heritage course or Communication/Inquiry could transfer as.
The other thing that Forrest was especially good at was working with seniors to make sure they had fulfilled all requirements and could graduate. He bears no responsibility for the young man whose family came to see him graduate and had to roust him out of bed in Luckett Hall *after* the ceremony was over. He slept through his own graduation.
At both my undergraduate and graduate institutions, I had learned to loath the registrar's office as a constant source of obstruction and rude treatment. I came to Austin College fully prepared to continue that kind of relationship, and then I met Forrest. It was a revelation to me that a registrar could actually be interested in helping students and faculty. I am glad to say that later registrars at Austin College have continued his tradition, but he stands out in my memory for his unexpected humanity, kindness, and generosity with his time. From him (and some others) I began to learn not to regard everyone in the Administration Building as my enemy. He had a lovely smile.
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