“Forward Motion”
The Inauguration of Dr. Ed Huckeby

Friday, May 7, 2010 was a day with great significance for the future of Southwestern Christian University. Following ten presidents and 64 years of rich institutional heritage, it was with tremendous emotion and tears in his eyes that Dr. Ed Huckeby accepted the responsibility as the 11th president of Southwestern Christian University.
Honored guests who gave salutations at the event included Dr. Ralph Fagin, Provost for Oral Roberts University, Dr. Mary Jones, Provost for Southern Nazarene University, Bryan Taylor, Mayor of Bethany, Oklahoma, Dr. Ronald Carpenter, Bishop of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and various others.
With words of passion, Dr. Huckeby declared his commitment to lead Southwestern Christian University forward in becoming a Christian liberal-arts university, “affectionately clinging to the firm cornerstone of the denominational roots on which it was built, but boldly exploring expansive horizons, opening the doors of the institutions to a multitude of students, with a variety of backgrounds and cultures”.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful and profound portions of the inauguration was the reading of a poem written and presented by Tarod McKnight entitled “Forward Motion”. You may read this poem in its entirety by clicking here. Perhaps decades from now, we will look back on this momentous occasion and mark the date when SCU continued its journey and succeeded in a “forward motion”. You may read the Inagugural Address in its entirety by clicking here.
You can watch an archived video of the inauguration below.