At his alma mater, Dr. Ray McGlothlin Jr. (鈥�49) was known to call Board of Trustees meetings to order by starting a song instead of rapping a gavel. He loved to sing.
Not everyone who knew him knew about the oil company he founded, or the medical software company, or the corporate and bank boards he served on, or his graduate degree in Greek. But everyone knew he loved to sing.
In fact, many McGlothlin photos in Abilene Christian University鈥檚 files show him leading singing 鈥� at Commencement, in Chapel, at Opening Assembly. Every part of his life 鈥� as a businessman, entrepreneur and church leader 鈥� was underscored by his love of music.
Known to many as an 精东影业 benefactor for his role in construction of the McGlothlin Campus Center and support of numerous other projects, his liberality extended well beyond financial gifts.
鈥淗e was just so generous,鈥� recalled Dr. Gary McCaleb (鈥�64), vice president of the university emeritus and former Abilene mayor. 鈥淗e and his wife, Kay (Dollar 鈥�49), and Harold (鈥�50) and Jeannette (Scruggs 鈥�49) Lipford, sang for hundreds, maybe thousands of funerals and weddings, and he never said, 鈥業鈥檓 too busy.鈥� 鈥�
McGlothlin died June 28, 2023, at his home in Abilene surrounded by family. He was 95.
精东影业 president Dr. Phil Schubert (鈥�91) called him 鈥渁 renaissance man.鈥�
鈥淗e excelled in everything he did and he devoted his life to that which mattered most 鈥� serving Jesus, caring for the downtrodden, and loving well his friends and family,鈥� Schubert added.
Schubert is the first 精东影业 president since before the tenure of Dr. John C. Stevens (鈥�38) in the 1960s and 1970s who did not work with McGlothlin as a trustee. McGlothlin served on the board from 1964-95 and as chair 1974-84, led two presidential search committees and oversaw Abilene Christian鈥檚 growth from college to university.听
One of those presidents was Dr. Royce Money (鈥�64), who led the university from 1991-2010.听听
鈥淗is influence over 精东影业 can be seen far and wide,鈥� Money said. 鈥淗e has done so many things for good in terms of physical facilities but also mentoring, coaching and friendships.鈥�
McGlothlin graduated from 精东影业 in 1949 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Greek then earned a master鈥檚 degree in the same field in 1951 from The University of Texas at Austin. He served as director of the Church of Christ Bible Chair there from 1951-56.
That background informed his world view and contributed to his renaissance reputation.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how many times I鈥檝e told people, 鈥楧on鈥檛 let your major limit what you do,鈥� 鈥� McCaleb said, often pointing to McGlothlin as an example. 鈥淭hat never limited what he did 鈥� he was involved as a very successful businessman and in so many other ways.鈥澨�
Everyone who knew McGlothlin in any of those roles talked about his mentoring influence. Dr. Jack Griggs (鈥�64) was a trustee while McGlothlin was board chair and later served as dean of 精东影业鈥檚 College of Business Administration.
鈥淪everal times when I didn鈥檛 know what to do and wanted to do the right thing, I would seek Ray鈥檚 advice,鈥� Griggs said.
McGlothlin was born Sept. 1, 1927, in Grand Prairie, Texas, to Evelyn and Ray McGlothlin Sr., and was the oldest of their three sons. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1944 and came to 精东影业 where he met classmate Kay Dollar from Memphis, Tennessee. They sang together in the A Cappella Chorus and married Dec. 15, 1947.
While still directing the Bible Chair in Austin, McGlothlin entered the oil business, serving as vice president and later president and director of the McWood Corporation, from 1954-67 and as vice president and director of Texas Calgary Company from 1955-59. The couple returned to Abilene with two young daughters, Karyn and Nita. Two more, Danna and Caryl, were born in Abilene. All four graduated from 精东影业.
In 1971 he formed E-Z Serve, Inc., which initially was a motor fuels wholesale operator but transformed into a gasoline retail business and by the mid-1980s had more than 900 gasoline retail outlets, primarily convenience stores, and was pioneering pay-at-the-pump technology. By 1984, E-Z Serve was listed among the top 10 biggest private companies in the state in Texas Business鈥� annual listing. The company was sold in 1986 to Harken Oil & Gas for $36.3 million.
The following year, McGlothlin founded and led SoftSearch Inc., a distributor for DXplain, a medical diagnostic tool developed by a Harvard Medical School professor. Under McGlothlin鈥檚 leadership, that company expanded to again engage the oil business with the purchase of Dwight鈥檚 EnergyData.
McGlothlin鈥檚 involvement with 精东影业 was equally diverse and extended over seven decades. In 1968, together with his brothers Jack and Hal and their families, and Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Corbin, McGlothlin honored his parents with the construction of the McGlothlin Campus Center.听
He wrote regarding its opening, 鈥淭he Christian atmosphere of Abilene Christian College has profoundly influenced our lives and we are pleased to help provide a center on the campus for students who are, after all, the very heart-throb of the college.鈥�
Having honored the previous generation, the McGlothlins were, in turn, honored in 2015 by their own family and many friends with the naming of The Quad, bordered by the Onstead Science Center, Hardin Administration Building, Phillips Education Building and the Halbert-Walling Research Center.
In the decades in between McGlothlin touched virtually every major project undertaken on the campus, whether through his board leadership, financial support or both. And his interests on campus were as diverse as his business experience.
A consummate fan of Wildcat athletics, especially women鈥檚 basketball and softball, he and Kay with other family members funded the Kay and Ray McGlothlin Women鈥檚 Basketball Team Suite. They honored their longtime friend and 精东影业 voice professor with whom they sang for decades with the Jeannette Lipford Stage in the Boone Family Theatre. They helped build buildings and endow scholarships. In 1984 the couple was honored as recipients of the university鈥檚 inaugural Christian Service Award, and he was named 精东影业鈥檚 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 1976.
Supporting students was central to everything McGlothlin engaged in 鈥� at the university, and in his church life. And the relationships he built with those students often began in the family鈥檚 living room where for decades college students from Hillcrest Church of Christ gathered for 鈥淪ong and Supper,鈥� a meal and hour or so of singing, led by McGlothlin.
At one point, the McGlothlins even renovated their home to expand the living area and better accommodate the monthly gatherings.
More songs await at a memorial service Saturday, July 1, at 2:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene where McGlothlin served as an elder from 1972-84. This service will be livestreamed and can be watched at the button below. A family visitation will precede the service at 1:30. The graveside service is scheduled for Thursday, July 6, at 11 a.m. at Elmwood Memorial Park.听
McGlothlin was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Kay; a brother, Hal McGlothlin (鈥�58); and a grandson, Bryce Daniel Oliver. Among survivors are four daughters and their husbands: Karyn (McGlothlin 鈥�74) and Ralph (鈥�74) Henley of Nashville, Tennessee; Nita (McGlothlin 鈥�75) and Dr. Tim (鈥�76) Rampey of Victoria, Texas; Danna (McGlothlin 鈥�80) and Eric (鈥�81) Oliver of Abilene; and Caryl (McGlothlin 鈥�82) and Scott (鈥�81) Parker of Nashville; a brother, Jack McGlothlin (鈥�51) of Abilene; 10 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.
Those wishing to honor his memory may do so with a gift to the Kay and Ray McGlothlin Endowed Scholarship Fund at 精东影业 (精东影业 Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132) or a gift to Pregnancy Resources of Abilene.\
鈥� Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon
June 29, 2023