In Memoriam: Patricia Officer Evans, 1941-2019

Patricia Officer Evans, longtime educator and matriarch of Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas, passed away on March 31, 2019. She was 77 years old.

“Sister Evans has been and forever will be an integral part of the Southwestern story, having served as our First Lady and Queen Mother for more than 50 years,” said Ervin D. Seamster Jr., president of Southwestern Christian College.

Evans was the wife of Jack Evans, Sr., a longtime minister who served as Southwestern’s president from 1967 to 2017. In addition to serving as first lady, Evans also taught literature and French courses at the college and coordinated musical performances on campus.

According to her former student, Aaron Sayles, Evans and her husband “spent their life helping to build Southwestern Christian College into a college where African-American young people could attend and receive a valuable Christian education. She was such an inspiration to those of us who knew her, especially those of us who knew her as students at Southwestern.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs