Decatur Reunion Honors King, Miller

Dallas, TX - Dallas Baptist University hosted the 26th Annual Decatur Baptist College Spring Reunion for alumni and friends on Saturday, April 26, at the Wise County Heritage Museum in Decatur, the location of the former administration building of Decatur Baptist College, and at First Baptist Church of Decatur.

During the program, Rep. Phil King received the 2014 Decatur Baptist College Honorary Alumnus Award, and Janice Miller received the 2014 DBC Distinguished Alumna Award. In addition, the class of 1964 was honored for their 50th Anniversary, and the class of 1954 was recognized for their 60th Anniversary.

Rep. Phil King is well known for his faithful service to the people of Wise and Parker Counties. A two-time graduate of Dallas Baptist University (1980 and 1986), King has served as a member of the Texas State House of Representatives since 1998. Prior to that, he served with the Fort Worth Police Department and as a Justice of the Peace in Parker County. In addition to his work as a state representative, he also is a practicing attorney in Weatherford.

In 2006, he was named the Legislator of the Year by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Throughout his career as a legislator, he has served as a leader in the Texas House, serving as chair of various committees and sponsor of many bills. In 2001, DBU presented Rep. King with a Distinguished Alumnus Award, and he continues to serve as an adjunct professor for DBU. He and his wife, Terry, have six children, five of whom attended DBU.

This year's Distinguished Alumna Award was presented to Janice Miller ('55), a retired leader in the field of education. Serving mainly in the Lake Worth Independent School District, she has been a member of the Lake Worth school board, a teacher, a vice-principal, and a principal. In 2006, because of her years of dedicated service, the Lake Worth ISD named one of its elementary schools, Marilyn Janice Miller Elementary, in her honor.

A native of Oklahoma, Mrs. Miller grew up in Eldorado and was a faithful member of First Baptist Church. It was there that a friend encouraged her to attend Decatur Baptist College, a two-year school that was founded in 1898. She visited the school and fell in love with the campus, and in 1955, she received her associate's degree from DBC. She later went on to complete a bachelor's degree at another school and began her career as an educator.

In addition to the awards, recognition was made during the service to those classes celebrating their 50th and 60th anniversaries, and Mrs. Mary Louise Woodruff was given special recognition as she celebrated her 70th anniversary as a member of the Class of 1944.

ABOUT DECATUR BAPTIST COLLEGE

Decatur Baptist College was founded in1898 with the distinction of being the first two-year institution of higher education in Texas. The school enjoyed a rich, full history in Decatur until 1965 when it moved to Dallas at the invitation of the Dallas Baptist Association. Alumni, friends, and family join together annually to celebrate this significant chapter in the life of Dallas Baptist University.