Fall 2007 - Northwestern College

Northwestern Classic
Laws
by Tamara
Fynaardt
for Leading
When Drs. Bruce and Di Murphy returned to
Northwestern College in 2001, it was like coming
home. They’d started their careers here in 1970—
Bruce as a history professor and Di teaching physical education.
They left eight years later, just as Northwestern was
becoming a liberal arts college.
In the intervening years, Northwestern had grown. So
Residencelife
had the Murphys. They raised their two children, Di earned
her doctorate, and Bruce served as both a pastor and a college
provost. Most of their family and life was on the West Coast.
But some roots were here, and the Murphys couldn’t
resist the opportunity to return and participate in reaping
some of what they had helped sow.
Murphy’s Law I: Live the mission
Returning to lead Northwestern as president, Murphy
says he and Di—who was hired as an education professor—
couldn’t help but notice the ways in which Northwestern had
changed since the 1970s.
“There were obvious signs, like new buildings,” he says.
“But we were most gratified to learn that Northwestern had
matured in its identity as a Christian liberal arts college in the
Reformed tradition.”
During his presidency, Murphy sought to deepen
Northwestern’s Reformed identity by modeling the pursuit of
wisdom, which requires spiritual as well as intellectual development
and discernment.
Members of the Northwestern community followed his
Farewell to the Murphys
Well-known and beloved by students, Murphy sought to understand and improve their
Northwestern experience by connecting students’ classroom and co-curricular learning.
The Murphys often welcomed students into their home and were, in turn, invited to
join students in the caf’, residence halls and Student Activities Council events.
Bruce and Di championed efforts to recruit more international and American ethnic
minority students to Northwestern and worked to ensure a positive experience
once they arrived. The Murphys enthusiastically participated in the International
Coffee House, Ethnic Fair and other campus celebrations of diversity.
13 ▲ Fall 2007