Nancy Ellis says a lot of people are asking her one single question these days: "Where are you going to sit the next time HSU plays HPU in football?" Her son, Dr. Bill Ellis, former provost and chief academic officer for Hardin-Simmons University, is now the new president of Howard Payne University.

A farewell reception for Dr. Ellis, held in Moody Center, drew HSU faculty and staff, the president of the board of trustees, the mayor of Abilene, and even the president of Hendrick Medical Center. The event gave a lot of people the chance to pose that burning and very sticky question.

The answer is not as simple as you might imagine. There are some complex issues, both current and historical, that must be considered in order to decide on which side of the field Mrs. Ellis should sit. HSU bleachers or HPU bleachers?

Dr. Ellis left HSU earlier this month to fill the vacant president's seat in Brownwood, but there are still family ties in Abilene. His brother, Dr. Bob Ellis, is a professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, as well as an associate dean for graduate studies in theology at HSU. Bill Ellis' sister, Dr. Nancy Kucinski, is an associate professor of management and the director of the MBA programs in the Kelley College of Business at Hardin-Simmons.

So, you can see why many might be wondering where mom and dad will sit during a highly contested Hardin-Simmons game against HPU. Plus, as anyone can tell you, there is a great deal of historical rivalry between to two universities.

But wait, there are more family ties to be considered. Dr. Ray Ellis, Bill's, Bob's, and Nancy's dad, retired from Hardin-Simmons after 37 years as a professor of Greek and also a graduate dean. Mom, Nancy, graduated with her master's from Hardin-Simmons and her daughter-in-law, Teresa Ellis, is an associate professor and the theological librarian at HSU. So, it seems the answer would be clear. However, there are still some historical facts that enter into this decision, and they do muddy the water considerably.

Dr. Bill Ellis is not alone at Howard Payne. He is now the president of the school from which both his mom and dad graduated. In fact, his grandfather, Dr. Neal Greer, taught Bible and philosophy at HPU.

Hmmm.... As you can see, this truly could be one real family dilemma!

So, imagine being in Mrs. Ellis' place. You are in a room, crowded with Hardin-Simmons professors and staff members. Everybody is standing in line to shake hands with your son, Dr. Bill, and wish him good times as president of HPU. Then, the professors and staff members ask mom, "Which side of the football stadium are you going to sit on?"


Now, if you are a woman with a master's degree from Hardin-Simmons, you are bound to be pretty smart. And since HSU is a Christian university, you are required to tell the truth...hmmm.

Well, as expected, Mrs. Ellis does not really want to answer that particular question, but she does say, "It is truly ironic that we've had three children to teach at HSU. I may be a little biased, but I don't mind telling you that Bill will do a tremendous job as president of HPU."

So, since she is too smart to be cornered, interested folks are just going to have to watch and see where mom and dad Ellis will be sitting.

By the way, the football game with HPU this year is HSU's homecoming game, so it's at Hardin-Simmons. That means a lot of HSU people will be watching and waiting to see how this family dilemma is resolved.

The HSU homecoming game against HPU is October 17. Bring your binoculars if you want to find out the answer to this burning question and a family situation worthy of a soap opera.

Photos:
Nancy and Dr. Ray Ellis;
Dr. Diana Ellis greets Dr. Michael Monhollon;
Dr. Bob Ellis, Teresa Ellis, Dr. Nancy Kucinski, son Neal Kucinski, Dr. Bill Ellis, Dr. Diana Ellis