The Rustorian

Issue date: 2/28/09 Section: News

Dr. William Asbury McMillan

Dr. & Mrs. McMillan receive the 2nd Tower of Leadership Award from President Beckley.

He came to Rust College to shepherd an educational legacy to success, and no doubt, Dr. William Asbury McMillan over his tenure became a legacy of his own.

For the many eulogies people will shower on "Doc", he indeed deserves them. An educator, motivator, mentor, civil rights and equal opportunity advocate, community leader, socio-economic and political enabler; Doc is all and more.

A legend who once lived in Holly Springs, and made his mark in his community and afar, history book will recall in future. Originally from North Carolina, and initially on a brief official assignment to the college, he loved the town but he had to leave. However, McMillan soon came back as president of Rust. He never left the town since. Such was the man that even in retirement he engaged and occupied himself with meaningful projects that served the general citizenry of Holly Springs and Marshall County.

Here we republish one of those remarkable presentations he gave a decade ago as convocation speaker at the college.

MCMILLAN CALLS FOR A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
'It's a knock on yourself when you knock on your college'

By Debayo Moyo
Special Correspondent, The Rustorian
(c)Dec. 12, 1998

Blessed with a physical attribute that belies his septuagenarian figure, Dr. William A. McMillan, the 10th president of Rust College, is one personality that knows how to work a crowd to laughter and leaves the audience with something to remember.

Such was the experience during the 132nd Founders' convocation address, Nov. 22. As the speaker for the occasion, this sage of a man whose middle name, Asbury, is synonymous with the mother church, Asbury United Methodist Church, from where Rust College took its roots, paid tribute to the founders of the college, Rev. Albert C. McDonald and Rev. Moses Adams.

He acknowledged those individuals who served as presidents before him. McMillan described them as great men of courage and vision who had nothing materially, but yet made a way for people to prosper through education. "They gave us all something to live by and left us something to move on with," he said.

McMillan described Rust as a legacy that needs to survive despite the odds of the moment and times. He therefore called for a spirit of cooperation among alumni, trustees, and friends of the college.

He said this is what the earlier leaders did to Rust. "They depended on cooperation" in order to move Rust College forward. He charged everyone concerned with the day-to-day activities of the college to fulfill their positions and duties as if the business of the college depends on them alone.

And if perhaps there was a presumption that his 27-year tenure as president of Rust had created the notion that the institution belongs to him, McMillan declared that the school never belonged to him. "Rust College did not belong to W.A. McMillan who came here in 1967 and stayed till 1993, probably longer than he should have, but he enjoyed it, and that was fun," he said jokingly.

He added that the institution neither belonged to any of his predecessors nor to Dr. David Beckley, his immediate successor and 11th president. Rust College "belongs to the people." Therefore, cooperation is necessary within the college community in order to enhance the continued survival and growth of the college.

According to McMillan, it is no use downplaying the college, particularly those people who barely contribute positively to the health of the college. "It's a knock on yourself when you knock on your college," he said. McMillan and his wife Mildred were honored with the 2nd Rust Tower of Leadership Award, for their long years of service and continued support to the college.


Debayo Moyo is associate professor and mass communications department chair at Rust.

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