By: Kaci King
10/12/2006

For Wayne Howdeshell, there is no such thing as a typical morning. Each day that he arrives at Friends University, his duties can range from responding to student questions to attending faculty meetings.

In July his daily regimen will change when he retires from the University after close to 40 years of service.

“Friends is a great place to work,” said Howdeshell, dean of liberal arts and sciences. “Working here has been a very rewarding experience.”

Howdeshell’s ties to the Friends community go beyond teaching and administrative positions. He came from a Quaker background and received his bachelor’s degree in history from Friends. His wife and daughter are also graduates.

Howdeshell began his career at Friends in 1967 as an instructor of sociology and world history. A pivotal moment in his teaching experience, he said, came in 1987 when he was an exchange professor in China.

“It was something new and different. I learned a lot about Chinese history and culture,” Howdeshell said.

Earl Holmes is a former Friends professor and has known Howdeshell since 1980. In addition to their children growing up together, Holmes said that in 1988 he spent a year teaching in China while Howdeshell was there.

“We got to know each other overseas. Wayne (Howdeshell) helped me a great deal with life in China,” he said.

Holmes wants the Friends community to be aware of the personal investment Howdeshell has in the institution. Holmes does not think students are aware of how much change his colleague has watched take place over the years; he said Howdeshell has been around for at least six University presidents.

“Wayne (Howdeshell) has experienced frustrations as well as joy and success,” said Holmes. “The institution’s best is his aim and goal; I’m in awe of that.”

Howdeshell stays active on and off campus as a member of several organizations such as the Global Learning Center, Friends Alumni Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, to name a few.
Bob Dove, professor of biology, is also a close colleague of Howdeshell’s and remains impressed by the mark he has left on Friends and the community.

“His legacy is more than this University; it extends to the entire community,” Dove said. “He is always concerned about social issues and issues of justice. Coming from a Quaker background, he has always been a strong advocate for peace. He is respected for the beliefs he stands for.”

As he approaches retirement, Howdeshell wants to have achieved at least this one thing.

“I hope I have been of service and benefit to other people,” he said.