Dr. Terry joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and achieved the rank of professor of religious studies in 1977. From 1979 to 1992 he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs. As a teacher and academic dean, he championed the liberal arts and social justice and lived the ideals of lifelong learning, ethical leadership, and civic responsibility. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, we honor him with this women’s studies series.

     In 1984, Dr. Terry authored an article affirming the importance of “The Curricular Mission of the Liberal Arts in the Church-Related College.” He often wrote and spoke with passion on this topic because of his lived experiences. As an undergraduate at Baker University, he studied philosophy and English; as a graduate student at Iliff, he studied theology. He had a lifelong interest in art. In his scholarship, professional writings, and editorial columns in the Des Moines Register, he wrote about politics, science, film, business, war, sexuality, mental health, ethics, art, literature, and education. He repeatedly co-sponsored interdisciplinary travel tours to England and regularly visited Interdepartmental Honors. In 1971-72 he studied Hemingway at Princeton University on an NEH fellowship. As dean, he encouraged team-teaching and faculty development. He took a keen interest in faculty members’ teaching and research projects.

     During the Civil Rights and Vietnam eras, Frank Terry demonstrated his courage and commitment to justice through his political activism. In the 1980s when Morningside needed a course on the controversial topic of human sexuality, Dr. Terry developed and taught this course. His Des Moines Register editorial columns educated readers and took reasoned stands on controversial issues such as the teaching of creationism in the public schools.

     Frank Terry never stopped learning. He loved discussing ideas with speakers and other members at weekly meetings of the Sioux City Interprofessional Institute. His own theological views evolved throughout his life. Originally ordained as a Methodist clergyman, he became an Episcopalian priest in 1975.

     Always an ethical leader, Dr. Terry made significant contributions locally and nationally. On campus he played crucial roles in institutional planning and strengthening the academic program. On the national level, he contributed to the Council of Independent Colleges, Office of Education, and the Chamber of Commerce. In Sioux City, he provided leadership to the Art Center, Chamber of Commerce, Board of Education, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and the Democratic Party.
When Frank Terry died in 2001 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease for many years, his long-time colleague and friend Dr. Robert Jewett remarked that Frank embodied “the best traits in his cultural tradition . . . without any pretense and with an integrity that is rare indeed.”

     Earlier, at Dr. Terry’s retirement, Morningside College’s women faculty paid tribute to him. They thanked him for his support of them as individuals and for his efforts to open opportunities for women to move into campus leadership positions as vice presidents, division chairs, and department chairs. When the Siouxland Center for Women needed a new home, it settled at Morningside, and, thanks to Dean Terry, who believed in its mission, it received financial and administrative support for its activities on campus and in the community.

     This six-part women’s studies speaker and faculty development series is named to honor Dr. R. Franklin Terry. Funding for the series comes in part from Dr. Terry’s family—his wife, Jeannette Terry Davenport, and children Kris, Brad, and Sonya— who generously donated memorial funds to this project. The Sioux City Center for Women and the Morningside College Academic and Cultural Arts Series have also contributed funding. A major donor is the Office of Academic Affairs, which, under the leadership of Dr. William Deeds, continues supporting women’s studies at Morningside College.