Each spring at the Austin College Honors Convocation, the Homer P. Rainey Award is presented to a faculty or staff member on behalf of the College’s Board of Trustees to recognize outstanding achievement and service to the College. In 2016, Austin College President Marjorie Hass presented awards to two individuals: Ginger Chauncey, associate registrar; and John West, director of Abell Library.
Chauncey has been a member of the Austin College staff since 1975. Students rely on Ginger’s work in the Office of the Registrar from their arrival at Austin College through Commencement, for guidance on academic registration, degree requirements, course credits, and transcripts. “Every day Ginger brings a very special expertise and attitude to her work; she listens to students, calms anxious parents, and finds successful outcomes while maintaining the integrity of each academic program,” Dr. Hass said. “Her historical knowledge of changes to the degree requirements is a significant contribution to the College. When former students from the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s return to complete their degree, Ginger is the one who understands the academic and program changes and helps map a path for them to complete their degree. Throughout the last four decades, Ginger has been a tireless worker, lending support behind the scenes and alongside young students.”
West began working at Austin College in 1984. He has been instrumental in bringing technological innovation to Austin College in the new era of digital library services, while sustaining a commitment to the best of the age of print, Dr. Hass said. “Decades ago, he introduced computer services including the library’s very first CDROM. Since then he has brought many upgrades and systems – most recently implementing the Digital Humanities Planning grant and the Mellon Digital Pedagogy Colloquium. He serves as a spokesman and mentor for the library and its staff and has been active in professional service as well with many national, state and local organizations. He is dedicated to the local community, making presentations across North Texas, contributing works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction to regional literary events and publications.”
About Homer P. Rainey
Homer P. Rainey was a 1919 graduate of Austin College. He taught at Austin College from 1919 to 1922 before leaving to earn his doctorate at the University of Chicago. After several years as a faculty member, Rainey served presidencies at Franklin College of Indiana, Bucknell University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Texas. At the University of Texas, in the mid 1940s, he protested board actions that he believed threatened academic freedom. The UT regents fired Rainey in November 1944, which led to thousands of UT students marching to the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion in protest and Rainey becoming known as a symbol for academic freedom. He took on the presidency of Stephens College in Missouri in 1947. He joined the education faculty at the University of Colorado in 1956, received an outstanding teacher award in 1964, and became professor emeritus that same year. In 1971 he wrote The Tower and the Dome, an account of his presidential experiences at the University of Texas. During his lifetime, Austin College honored Dr. Rainey with an honorary doctorate in 1932, the College’s Founders Medal in 1964, induction to the Austin College Athletic Hall of Honor in 1966, and recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1973. This award honors his legacy of success. Nominations are submitted each year by a wide range of individuals throughout the campus community.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.