Office of the President

The campus grounds were immaculate. The food was excellent. The stage was beautiful. Smiles and hugs were everywhere. LeTourneau University people really know how to make guests feel welcome, and we did it again with Longview Commencement 2013 last weekend. Thank you so much for making it a special day for families from around the world.

This coming Saturday, our Houston Commencement 2013 will honor hundreds of graduates and family members with the same genuine hospitality that is a gift shared by so many at LETU. Marsha and I will miss the Houston event because we will be in Denton celebrating the graduation of our oldest daughter Rachel.

She will receive her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising from the University of North Texas. After graduating from Kilgore where she was a Kilgore Rangerette, Rachel went to UNT to dance and study merchandising and fashion design (offerings we don't have here at LETU). After graduation, she has a job with a Dallas designer.

Last year, we had the joy of celebrating with daughter Hannah, who is now an RN working at Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.

Our two girls were still in high school when Marsha and I first came to LETU. Where have the years gone?

From up on the stage, looking out on the Belcher Center last Saturday, I saw again that commencement ceremonies are celebrations of academic success, to be sure, but also they are celebrations of the blessings of family. In Denton this coming Saturday, I'll be happy to not be sitting onstage, but instead  be in the audience celebrating the gift of my family.





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This past week, several of us traveled to the West Coast, meeting new friends and reconnecting with former students and supporters of LETU. Starting in Los Angeles, we also traveled to Cupertino and Seattle. I ended up in Vancouver, Canada, visiting an alumnus from the 1960s who remembers fondly his days here in Longview.

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Pratt in El Segundo, Calif. Chris graduated from LETU in 1991 with a degree in electrical engineering. He went on to earn a graduate engineering degree from Cornell and marry his wife Peilin, a Harvard Law graduate. While practicing engineering in L.A., Chris became interested in the Internet and e-commerce. A simple experiment in selling candy demonstrated the potential of the technology. Soon, he left his job working with electric vehicles to start CandyWarehouse.com.

The night we visited (the Pratts were kind enough to host an alumni reception), the warehouse was filled with over 300 tons of every candy I could imagine. Orders arrive day and night, and Chris ships large orders of candy daily. Who buys? Often his customers are planning candy buffets for weddings and showers. Go to their website, and you'll see that you can sort by color to create that perfect buffet.

With Chris and Peilin Pratt in their candy warehouse in Los Angeles, Calif.

Chris is no Willy Wonka! I can see that he uses the analytical reasoning of his LETU engineering education to refine the logistics of his business and improve both customer service and profit. I could also see his LETU heart in the care for his employees and the fun, supportive work environment Peilin and he have created.

You can learn more about the Pratts' company in one of their YouTube videos. You can see their other website videos here.  

When Chris graduated from LETU over two decades ago, I'm sure his candy company was not even imaginable to him. As our newest graduates cross the stage this coming Saturday, only God knows what new businesses they will start and what workplaces they will claim for Jesus Christ.


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LeTourneau University's Homecoming 2013 surely was the most successful in many years. Congratulations to Martha Steed who led the way and to dozens of others who worked behind the scenes to welcome home hundreds of our alumni. The weekend clearly demonstrates that our former students will travel hundreds or thousands of miles to return to campus, see old friends, and rejoice in all the good God has done in their lives and at their alma mater. It's always a blessing for us to host them when they visit. I saw in their laughter and tears that it was a special blessing for them to be here with their friends.

Dr. Lunsford with the LeTourneau family. Louise LeTourneau Dick (seated) with her brothers Ben and Roy. Ben's wife, Betty, is standing in the center. Roy's wife, Shirley, is not pictured.

The three surviving children of R.G. and Evelyn LeTourneau were all together on campus -- a memory I will forever cherish. Roy LeTourneau spoke in chapel to our current students and then again to our Golden Jackets -- those who graduated 50 or more years ago. It was a rare opportunity for today's student body to hear the booming LeTourneau family voice speak about Mr. R.G.'s commitment to make God his partner in his life's work. And it was a treat to listen to our Golden Jackets ask Roy to tell stories from decades ago when Pop LeTourneau drove his Volkswagen around campus and Mom LeTourneau cooked for homesick students.

Our guests were amazed at the physical changes on campus ('Where are the barracks?') I believe they were even more amazed to find the commitment to Christ still alive and central to who we are as a community. While many things had changed, the faith foundation of our university was still there.

Some of the students you see on campus today may return here 50 years from now for a similar homecoming. The university they find will be built on the foundation we are laying today. As those before us did, let's continue to build on the solid rock of Peter's confession that Jesus is Lord. That's a foundation that will last through the ages.


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Our LETU trustees are on campus from across North America to attend the semi-annual board meeting.


Last November, board elections were held, and this meeting is the first for Pat Bertsche to serve as the board chair. Pat and his family live in St. Charles, Ill. He is the chief financial officer for Camcraft, Inc., a family owned manufacturing business that makes precision-machined engine system components to exacting specifications. (Watch this recent video on LeTourneau University's Center for Faith & Work website about how the Bertsche family runs Camcraft as 'God's business,' allowing Biblical principles to guide their work).

With new LeTourneau University Chairman of the Board Pat Bertsche, CFO of Camcraft, Inc.

A 1989 LETU alumnus who earned his degree in industrial management, Pat has been involved in financial management, strategic planning and business operations for years.

He has a heart for Christian education and served as the superintendent of the Westminster Christian School, formerly having served as its board president. He loves LeTourneau and has coordinated numerous alumni meetings around the country and even hosted alumni events in his home.

Other new officers include our vice chair Larry Mercer of Dallas, Texas; our secretary Paul Abbott of Jenks, Okla.; and treasurer Merle Stoltzfus of Elverson, Penn. This week's meeting is also the first for three new trustees, including Gene Frost of West Chicago, Ill., James Nolt of York, Penn. and Dean Waskowiak of Longview, Texas.

While on campus, board members toured the Allen Center construction site. This group toured with LETU Dean of Students Corey Ross. Want to see the latest progress as the building goes up? Check out our live construction cam.

I am grateful for all of our trustees. They come here to share their wisdom, their experience and their love for LeTourneau University. Please join me in welcoming them to Longview, and to campus, and thanking them for their service.


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City of Longview Mayor Jay Dean has asked me to chair a citizen's task force to study the economic development of our I-20 corridor. Development of the Interstate 20 corridor is a significant opportunity for the city of Longview to expand economic growth and take advantage of a resource that brings over 37,000 vehicles per day past the Estes Parkway and I-20 intersection.

Anyone who travels north on Estes Parkway toward our LeTourneau University campus can see that this entrance into the city does not represent Longview as the economically vibrant, beautiful city that it is. Our prospective students and their parents drive to campus from I-20 when coming to preview LeTourneau University. They pass several abandoned and shuttered buildings as well as unattractive and overgrown lots. Unfortunately, it is their first impression of Longview.

We at LeTourneau University have a vested interest in being part of beautification and economic growth efforts in South Longview. Because this is our city's front door, all in Longview will benefit from a redeveloped I-20 corridor.

Having been outspoken on the need for improvements, I was eager to get started. Our task force is meeting through May in MSC 3 to consider ideas and develop recommendations for the Mayor and City Council. It's wonderful to have these city leaders and concerned citizens on our campus and to see the valuable asset they have in LETU.

To help with getting input from the community, the Longview Chamber of Commerce has launched a website, www.LongviewTexasListens.com.

I invite those of who are Longview community members to click on the link and share your ideas. The website offers guided questions such as:

• What type of economic development would you like to see along Longview's I-20 corridor?
• What types of development would encourage you to visit the Sabine River bottomlands?
• What can the city do to encourage private developers to make an investment along our I-20 corridor?
• From your experience, what cities do a great job of attracting visitors from their interstate highway?

Because so many of you, as LETU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends, live and work in the local community, you have a unique perspective on South Longview. I hope you'll let your good ideas be heard on this website. If nothing else, voice your agreement with the urgency that now is the time to reclaim this neighborhood for the sake of all of Longview.


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The Thursday before Jesus was crucified, he gathered for the last time with his disciples and celebrated the Passover meal which today we call the Last Supper.

Those intimate moments between Jesus and his disciples have inspired artists throughout the centuries to depict what that scene might have looked like. From the 22nd chapter of the book of Luke, we know that Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table as He gave thanks for the cup and bread and then shared it with them.

Shortly thereafter Jesus humbled himself and washed the feet of his disciples, even the ones who would betray and deny him. And it was later that evening, in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, He prayed in anguish, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

It was not to be. Instead, He was betrayed, arrested, denied, mocked, beaten, judged and crucified. That Friday was a dark day, but as we know, Sunday was coming with a resurrection power that would forever change the world.

As we look toward Easter Sunday, I encourage us all to take time to silently reflect on the promise fulfilled by Jesus' death on the cross. Through Him, we have victory, new life, and the promise of eternity. That is Good News!




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LeTourneau University is an incredible place. Every single day, I marvel at the creativity and ingenuity of our students, our faculty and our staff. The difference that each of you make is immeasurable.

To those of you who work with our students every day, you are our front lines. You are changing lives, molding them into the men and women who will truly make profound differences in every workplace and every nation. They do this by carrying both the Good News of Jesus Christ as well as their hearts and minds into the world that surrounds them.

Each and every one of you are part of this incredible LeTourneau story. You are LeTourneau University.

This year, we've started communicating with our alumni in a fresh way to stay in touch with them and keep them up to date on some of the most exciting things happening on campus. The initiative has a simple goal: to tell the story of LeTourneau University through emails, a blog, and (for those who enjoy a more visual experience, an infographic).

Any of you who are a part of the LeTourneau Nation (faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, friends of the university, and more) are part of this incredible story. In every classroom and office on campus, and in every workplace one of our graduates inhabits, incredible pieces add up to the single greatest university in the world. And any time you'd like a look into the latest at LeTourneau, you'll find the content from all of our alumni communications, and more, at the blog link above.

If you have an incredible story that you think should be told, we want to hear about it. Email your story ideas and let us help to share your successes and the little pieces of incredible that make up this amazing place. Or, request to receive IncrediblyLETU alumni communications to stay up-to-date about your incredible alma mater.


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Do you know Hip Hop? Do you know the Grammy Award-winning artist Lecrae? Trust me, our students know him and his music. He is one of the voices of their generation. I don't know him but I know Tim Tebow and Bubba Watson, and they are fans of Lecrae's rap music.

He recently challenged the church with a message that strikes me as true when he said:

"The reason why the church typically doesn't engage culture is because we are scared of it. We're scared it's going to somehow jump on us and corrupt us. We're scared it's going to somehow mess up our good thing. So we consistently move further and further away from the corruption, further and further away from the crime, further and further away from the post-modernity, further and further away from the relativism and secular humanism and we want to go to a safe place with people just like you. We want to be comfortable."

Lecrae recently mentioned our LeTourneau University Center for Faith & Work in a tweet. In doing so, he shared our Center with over 580,000 of his followers. If you think about Hip Hop as his workplace, then Lecrae is doing exactly the same as we ask of our mechanical engineering or accounting graduates.

In another indication that our new Center for Faith and Work is becoming part of the global conversation about the integration of faith and work, director Bill Peel was invited to give three lectures on the topic at a Singapore church last week. I joined him at Hope Church Singapore and in several meetings with business and ministry leaders. I was encouraged to learn how many first-generation Christians in Asia are now asking the complicated question of how to make Jesus their Lord, not just on Sunday but also on the other six days of the week.

I believe they were encouraged to hear the story of R.G. LeTourneau who claimed God as his partner in business. They were eager to hear what Bill has labeled "workplace grace" as a mechanism for sharing God's love at work. They have no "Christian University" like LETU in Singapore. They have only comprehensive state universities and private seminaries. They were encouraged an institution like LETU existed; one with a mission to graduate competent professionals with Christ-like character. It was liberating for them to hear that they didn't have to choose work or ministry; instead, work done for the glory of God is ministry.

I returned home praying that God would clearly show me all He is doing in Asia and how LETU might join in that work.


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Scholarships are crucial to LeTourneau University. They help us attract some of the best and brightest students from around the country and help us keep students whose families are struggling to overcome the economic challenges of paying for college.

Scholarship dollars don't just grow on trees. They come from the generous hearts of families and corporate sponsors who recognize the value of investing in the future generation.

Recently, we celebrated the generosity of many of our local sponsors during our 2013 Scholarship Gala banquet on campus. We thanked many of our local corporate sponsors for their continued giving to our Presidential Scholarship program, and we shared a video titled "Why I Give" that gave our donors the opportunity to share their motivation to give. The video also gave our student scholarship recipients the opportunity to say "thank you."

We also celebrated the creation of a new endowed scholarship: the Scott N. Bowen Memorial Endowed Scholarship, named in memory of 1982 LeTourneau College mechanical engineering alumnus who had a successful engineering career in the transportation industry. Bowen lived his life with a strong desire to use his talents to glorify God. His life, though brief, was full of love and kindness, leaving behind a legacy inspiring others to live as he did, honoring God with his dedication to his family and his willingness to help others. His family's gift in his memory will support future generations of men and women at LETU. Bowen's son, Nathan, accepted a plaque in his father's honor.

A highlight of the evening was when we surprised Joe Bob Joyce by presenting him with the Henry O. Gossett Community Partner Award that honors a community leader who demonstrates long-term commitment to LeTourneau University and who strengthens the ties between the university and the Longview community through acts of service.

As many of you may know, Joe Bob Joyce has served on our Board of Trustees since 2009 and has served on several committees including as a two-term president of my President's Advisory Committee. He and his family have supported the construction of the Belcher Center and the renovations of the Corner Café and aviation facilities, and most recently the Joyce Family Athletic Village.

We as a university are grateful for the generosity of these and others who partner with us, who see the need and are willing and able to provide this crucial funding for scholarships. And to them, we should all say, "thank you."







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I loved Larry Payton.

I can't believe he is gone.

The text came from my hometown just as I walked into a budget meeting Tuesday. I'm sure Mike Hood, Phil Coyle, and Ron DeLap found me absent minded the rest of the afternoon. My dear friend Larry had died. At just 64, he was called home too soon. See story.

Most likely, you've never heard of Larry, although he was well known in Tulsa, Okla. His business, Celebrity Attractions, brought Broadway shows and other entertainment into the city and more recently into Little Rock, Oklahoma City and several Texas cities.  

Larry was my friend, one of my few genuine friends. We shared a love for baseball, and he especially loved the Cardinals of his native St. Louis. Larry died just about one month after the death of his hero, Stan "The Man" Musial.

Larry integrated his faith and work. He had the kind of career in which he would sit next to me at a deacon's meeting Sunday night and be on Broadway in New York City the next afternoon. What was a Jesus-loving, Southern Baptist from Oklahoma doing working in the secular and often hostile entertainment industry? Because he wanted to be salt and light...and he was to the very end.

He was the kind of friend courageous enough to look me in the eye and speak words of correction when I was off track. He was humble enough to share that he had made serious mistakes, too. He was comfortable enough to write "I love you" at the end of an email. I fear I'll never have another friend like him. I fear I'll never be the friend that Larry was. Hug your best friend today and tell him or her you love them.


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