Alvin M. Keeling 
As the spring semester draws to a close, Howard Payne University is gearing up for an exciting week of events that will include the official opening of the university’s Newbury Family Welcome Center and kick-off activities for graduates. fall 2021 and spring 2022.
On Thursday, May 5, the public is invited for self-guided tours of the Newbury Family Welcome Center from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. The nearly 8,000 square foot facility is named after the family of Dr. Don Newbury, who graduated from HPU in 1961, president of the university from 1985 to 1997 and current chancellor. It will serve as a reception area for prospective students and other visitors, while also housing offices for admissions staff.
On Friday, May 6, Chime Out will take place at 7 p.m. in the historic LJ Mims Auditorium. Chime Out is an HPU tradition in which senior graduates pass on a chain of ivy to underclassmen, which represents the transfer of responsibility to students who remain on campus to carry on the traditions of the university. A live stream of Chime Out will be available at www.facebook.com/hputx.
On Saturday, May 7, the Launch Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the LJ Mims Auditorium. Degrees will be awarded to graduates of business, Christian studies and education schools at the 10 a.m. ceremony. At the 3 p.m. ceremony, degrees will be awarded to graduates of the Schools of Humanities, Music and Fine Arts, Nursing, and Science and Mathematics, as well as the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy. A live stream of both launch ceremonies will be available at www.facebook.com/hputx.
Immediately following both ceremonies, receptions for graduates and their families will be held at the Newbury Family Welcome Center.
For more information about HPU, visit www.hputx.edu.
