Author: Kathy Dean

The teachers you can count on for an “easy A” are always popular with students. 

But teachers like University of Mobile English professor Dr. Frances A. Garner – the stern ones who keep you after class and demand you do better – are truly loved.

For evidence, just look at the name on one of three buildings in UM’s Academic Park. Frances Garner Hall, a 5,500-square-foot classroom and office building, is home to UM’s English department and World Languages and Studies faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences. It is one of only two structures on campus named for a faculty member who has served at the Christ-centered university – Rosemary Adams Hall is the other. 

The story behind Frances Garner Hall begins with a petite powerhouse professor who wasn’t afraid of anything. 

Born to Teach

Frances Adrien Garner always knew she would be a teacher – it was in her blood. Her parents were teachers, as were most of her nine aunts and uncles.

“If you’re supposed to be a teacher, it’s something you can’t avoid. You might try, but it won’t work for long,” she was quoted at age 66 in an article published by the Mobile Press-Register in 1995.

Garner was 81 years old when she died on Jan. 31, 2010. Born on May 31, 1928, at her mother’s family farm in Morgan County, Alabama, she was raised in Mobile and graduated from Murphy High School in 1945. She attended Judson College, then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Peabody College, now part of Vanderbilt University. She taught in Mobile (Westlawn Elementary and Vigor High School), Maryland and – when it was still a territory – Hawaii. After earning a Master of Arts in English from Duke University, she returned to Mobile and took a chance on a new Baptist college that was set to open in the fall of 1963.

In a photo of the charter faculty and staff of Mobile College, now the University of Mobile, Garner is in the second row, fourth from the left. She stands directly behind Dr. Gene Perkins, the acrobatic professor who had the unusual ability to balance upside down by one finger on a block of wood.

Garner isn’t the only woman in the photo – but she was the only female faculty member that first year. The 1964 Rampage yearbook notes that she served as sponsor of the Young Women’s Auxiliary. 

Later, Garner earned a Doctor of Philosophy in English from the University of Tennessee and rose through the ranks to full professor, becoming the first dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. She was selected by a faculty committee to receive the university’s prestigious Megginson Teaching Award in 1992 and retired in December 1996. A few months later, in April 1997, the UM Board of Trustees named her professor emeritus.

‘I’m Not Afraid’

Teaching English around the world wasn’t something she intentionally set out to do when she began her career in 1949. Some friends tried to discourage her globe-trotting.

“I’m not afraid. Something can happen to you wherever you are. I want to try to make a difference in the world,” Garner said in the Press-Register article.

She and her Mobile College colleague, Dr. Hazel Petersen (who became the first female academic dean in the nation at a Baptist college), were among the first American teachers to venture into war-torn Vietnam in 1989 following the Vietnam War. They had volunteered to teach English as a second language to Vietnamese educators.

Gun bunkers lined the airfield as she landed. The teachers lived in a state-run hotel where most of the other residents spoke only Russian. There was only one flush toilet at the school campus where they taught. Food was scarce and there was no telephone service. But this hard-working professor said she didn’t have time to think about being scared.

“You can’t live your life being afraid,” she said.

She would continue teaching English as a second language in more countries, including China and Nicaragua. While English was her passion, she was passionate as well about the need for Americans to become bilingual.

“If we’re going to live in a global economy, we’re going to have to learn how to speak different languages,” she said. 

The Queen of English

Upon her retirement, Garner was conferred the title “The Queen of English” by students and faculty.

“She got this name because any time we (in the dean’s office) had a question about English grammar or usage, we would put it to Dr. Garner to resolve,” said Will Edmonds, then a recent graduate working for academic dean Dr. Audrey Eubanks.

When Edmonds graduated from UM in 1997 with a degree in global business, Garner presented him a copy of “Fowler’s Modern English Usage.”

“I knew it was the kind of gift that she gave, as it was an extension of who she was. I still have it and use it. I cherish her note and signature on the inside cover,” said Edmonds, now a National Board Certified Teacher of French at Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies. Recently, Edmonds was named Alabama Secondary Teacher of the Year and Alternate State Teacher of the Year for 2022.

“For me, Dr. Garner represented the heart of Mobile College/University of Mobile. She was concerned with not only the academic student, but the student as a whole. She impacted me and my time at UM even though she never taught me, which to me is all the more amazing,” he said.

A Teacher and Friend

“Effective teacher. Skilled administrator. Special friend of students.”

The plaque on Frances Garner Hall cites a few reasons the university named a building for the English professor.

Those she taught say her impact went even further.

“Dr. Garner was feared and loved. If you worked hard, she was your fiercest defender. Woe be to the person who didn’t give their best effort. Anyone that survived her class (and many did not), emerged as a much better writer,” recalled UM President Lonnie Burnett, a 1979 graduate of then-Mobile College.

Tim Hebson said Garner was an incredible advisor.

“I was not an English major, but I wanted her as my adviser because she demanded the best in all her students,” said Hebson, a 1981 graduate and dean of students emeritus at The University of Alabama.

Susan Thomas took English courses from Garner for four years and considered the teacher a mentor who was “real involved with all her students.” 

“When I was in school, everyone knew you had to work hard to get good grades in her class. You couldn’t slide by in her class,” said Thomas, a 1977 graduate.

A Life-Long Impact

One story illustrates the impact a teacher can have in a student’s life – and demonstrates the caring and mentoring community that is still woven into the University of Mobile culture today.

Brian Boyle graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree from UM, and again in 2015 with a master’s degree. Now vice president for advancement, he said his freshman-year experience with the professor had a life-long impact:

As a freshman in my first year of college, I had the opportunity to take a literature class taught by Dr. Garner. Those who had her know of her distinct teaching style, and her high expectations. As someone who had typically done just the bare minimum to “C” my way through school, I thought I could do the same in her class. However, after turning in an essay assignment that I though was solid C work, she returned the graded paper with a bright red “F” written at the top. Further, she had written copious amounts of critical notes all over each page. You could actually feel the heat coming from the paper. 

She asked me to stay after class for a brief word. I braced for what I knew would be a less-than-complimentary scolding. What I received instead, however, was something that literally transformed my thinking and my self-confidence. She told me that I could do better and that she believed I had a gift for writing. She encouraged me to take pride in my ability, and not waste it. That may not sound like much, but what I heard her say was that she, Dr. Garner herself, believed in me. The impact of that was profound and has carried with me all the years that have passed since then. I wanted to make her proud. I got an A in that class and took her classes again as often as I could. I will always be thankful for that exchange, and her belief in me. And I find myself still wanting to make her proud.

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UM Legacy: People of the Halls

The UM Legacy story collection celebrates the rich history of the University of Mobile by sharing the stories of people past and present who helped make UM what it is today. This story is part of the “People of the Halls” series spotlighting the people behind the names of the buildings and sports facilities at the University of Mobile. Read more UM Legacy stories at umobile.edu/umlegacy.

There was a story that Dr. William K. Weaver Jr. loved to tell. 

It started off with a young preacher from Sylacauga, Alabama, and a group of Baptists who thought it would be a good idea to start a college in the southern part of the state, where access to higher education was limited.

Along the way, the story of this man expanded into the story of a college.

The story had the potential to be ironic. 

When Weaver was named president of Mobile College – a college that didn’t yet exist – it was April Fool’s Day – April 1, 1961. 

Not everyone can say they have been a college president. Only one can – and did – say he was chosen as president of a college that had “no land, no buildings, no library, no faculty, no students – and no problems.”

But turning a college that existed only on paper into a reality within two years was no joke.

The new college president’s first workday started on the afternoon of April 4, 1961, when the Mobile Register reported that he “simply hung up his hat in the college offices at 836 First National Bank Building and went to work.”

The University of Mobile, officially chartered as Mobile College by the state of Alabama on Dec. 12, 1961, was to be the life’s work of Weaver and his wife, Annie Boyd Parker “B” Weaver. Today, the first building that new students see as they arrive on campus bears his name: William K. Weaver Hall.

Weaver Hall Then and Now

When the first freshman class enrolled at Mobile College in 1963, the 400-acre campus had only one building. The Administration-Classroom Building housed everything a college needed at that time – a library, classrooms, auditorium, faculty and staff offices, and a snack shop.

“The building stood at the top of a red mud hill on which very little grass was growing, and there were no trees along the drives or on the large area cleared for buildings,” recalled Weaver.

Renamed William K. Weaver Hall in 1984 upon the founding president’s retirement, the university’s signature building has undergone several renovations over the years. An exterior renovation added a roof, portico and cupola. Later, an interior renovation gutted the top two floors and added state-of-the-art facilities for health care and science programs.

Today, the University of Mobile offers “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose” with associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic areas. The Christ-centered university affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention has a campus of more than 880 acres with over 14,000 alumni throughout the world pursuing God’s calling for their lives.

Who was William K. Weaver Jr.?

Born in Oxford, Alabama, Bill Weaver grew up in Talladega. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Howard College, now Samford University, and a Master of Theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Later, he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity from Samford University the Doctor of Law from the University of Mobile.

Weaver served in World War II as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, was ordained to the ministry by First Baptist Church of Talladega, served as the first director of religious activities at Howard College/Samford University, then was director of Baptist Student Work in Alabama.

After a decade as a successful pastor of First Baptist Church of Sylacauga and while serving as chairman of the committee charged with exploring options for forming a Baptist college in Mobile, Weaver was chosen to be the founding president of Mobile College. He was extensively involved in a variety of leadership positions throughout the community and Alabama Baptist life.

He retired as president of Mobile College in 1984, when the administration building was renamed in his honor, and continued serving the university as chancellor until his death in 2014 at the age of 95. B Weaver died in 2008. The university’s two top awards presented at graduation are named in their honor. The William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award and Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award are presented to graduates who exemplify the mission of the university, with selection based on scholarship, Christian character, leadership and service.

At Weaver’s memorial service, then-UM President Mark Foley said the driving element in Weaver’s life was to be of service to God and to be directed by God in that service. The forum for that service was the founding and building of what became the University of Mobile.

An Encourager

Remembered for his kindness, humor, faith and love of family, Weaver enjoyed telling the story of the university he was instrumental in founding.

“During my years as president, I would sometimes say to students, ‘If you want to be a college president, do what I did – start one!’” Weaver wrote in a 2003 series of articles for the Ram Report campus newsletter.

Weaver’s ability to seek common ground in order for progress to be made was illustrated by a story he told about a “crisis” in the library, then housed in what is now Weaver Hall. The crisis retold reveals a close-knit college community that brought even minor issues to the president for solution.

It was impossible to walk away from an encounter with Weaver without being encouraged. He was smart, funny, and genuinely interested in the people around him. He was a humble man, quick to praise others, a born leader who was not afraid to make unpopular decisions, according to Dr. Hazel Petersen-Walter, retired faculty member and administrator.

Petersen-Walter recalled Weaver as a strong promoter of people who worked hard. He loved to see the college gain recognition and grow; one way he assured success was through his own appreciation for people and a desire to help them develop.

“You remember, back in the ’60s women were not put in administrative positions. When I was named chair of the division of education, my chair was one of the highest positions held by women in the state of Alabama,” she recalled.

When Weaver appointed her to the post of academic dean, there were no other female academic deans in Baptist colleges nationwide.

“He thought I was the right person for that position,” she said. “I remember a meeting I went to for the Baptist colleges. I went into the deans’ meeting, and one of the gentlemen said to me, ‘The ladies are meeting in another location; this is for the deans.’ I said, ‘I am a dean.’”

Weaver continually gave God all the glory and credit for the success of the university.

Upon his retirement, he told the Board of Trustees that “one need merely to look at the glorious history of Mobile College to see the hand of God at work. It has been true every day of the life of this institution. He has taken our weaknesses and given His strength. He has taken our efforts and enabled us to build a great school.”

Weaver Hall Trivia

A deep dive into the University of Mobile archives reveals a few surprises about UM’s first and oldest building.

• Biblical Foundation – Dedication ceremonies for Mobile College on Sept. 6, 1963, included a cornerstone ceremony. Dr. George E. Bagley, executive secretary-treasurer of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, placed a Bible in the cornerstone, which was then sealed. The cornerstone is still visible on the northeast corner of Weaver Hall. 

• Presidential Signatures – The Weaver Hall Enhancement Project in 2000 added a Ram Red pitched roof, portico and columns, dramatically changing the look of the historic building. In a symbol of past meets present, founding president Dr. William K. Weaver Jr. and then-president Dr. Mark Foley put their signatures on the cupola before it was raised by crane and set atop the roof.

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UM Legacy: People of the Halls

The UM Legacy story collection celebrates the rich history of the University of Mobile by sharing the stories of people past and present who helped make UM what it is today. This story is part of the “People of the Halls” series spotlighting the people behind the names of the buildings and sports facilities at the University of Mobile. Read more UM Legacy stories at umobile.edu/umlegacy.