HPU's new front door

Campus facility positioned to welcome students into the HPU family

by Seth Rainey '19

For decades, visitors to Brownwood knew when they were nearing Howard Payne University’s grounds. Iconic Old Main, HPU’s original and main building, stood as the university’s “front door,” welcoming guests and passersby to an academic environment offering premier Christ-centered education.

Though the building was destroyed by fire in 1984, Old Main remains a central piece of HPU’s history. No building has been set on the grounds in the years since, but the site is still strongly associated with the Howard Payne legacy that the building represented. 

In February 2020, a portion of Old Main Park was named the site of HPU’s Newbury Family Welcome Center, making it the home of what will become another essential HPU landmark. The center is named for the family of Dr. Don Newbury ’61, HPU president from 1985 to 1997 and current chancellor, and will house the Office of Admissions. The first new building on HPU’s campus in 20 years will be uniquely positioned, both in physical space and in mission, to have a lasting impact on generations of students to come.

Dr. Cory Hines ’97, HPU president, emphasized that the site’s place in the university’s history is an integral part of the overall significance of the project. 

“In thinking about the first new building project in our administration, I was excited that we were able to go to the location of the university’s first building and build on the great history of Old Main,” he said. “For almost a century, Old Main was synonymous with HPU. That we could begin our administration and a new chapter in the history of our school by going back to our roots, in a way, and repurpose part of that area on our campus is something I know will be legacy-continuing.”

The new facility, scheduled for completion in spring 2022, will honor crucial pieces of HPU history while continuing to build on this legacy through its function as the new home for HPU admissions offices. Dr. Hines spoke about the critical need for a central point where guests of the university – potential students, alumni and friends – can gather and be introduced to the values, vision and direction of HPU.

“Any time someone goes to a home, there is a clear entry point into that home,” said Dr. Hines. “Whenever my family and I are blessed enough to have guests at the president’s house, we’re very careful to make sure that it is inviting and it represents our home in a welcoming way. Speaking from the perspective of our university, we want to make an excellent first impression on new students, community leaders and other guests. A great way to achieve that is through a ‘front door’ that is warm, inviting and represents HPU well.”

Dr. Ben Martin ’04, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the center will help ensure that prospective students are able to see what HPU offers them and help the university stand among distinguished academic institutions.

“Having a new welcome center will mean when students who have visited us walk into other universities’ administration buildings or welcome centers, they will have something comparable here at HPU,” said Dr. Martin. “They will have walked into a building that shares the legacy of HPU and how they fit into that legacy. That’ll be an opportunity that puts us on the same playing field as everybody else.” 

The vital role the building will have in recruiting leaves it uniquely positioned to have a generation-spanning impact at HPU.

“Taking the 30,000-foot view and looking to the future of our university, I think this building could be a launching point for many, many students – many, many alumni – at this university,” he said. “I’m hoping they can look at the welcome center for decades to come, and say, ‘That’s where I was introduced to the great environment at HPU. That’s where I was introduced to this university that I now love dearly.’”

As well as being a significant addition to the university’s campus, the facility is also anticipated to benefit the local economy. Dr. Dale Meinecke ’98, vice president for development at HPU, elaborated on the effect that is hoped for in the years following the project’s completion.

“The more students we bring in, the more economic impact that brings to the community, which means more spending in Brownwood, which means businesses here are doing better,” he said. “More students will mean more parents are coming to town to see their students – they’re staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. So, it’s a big deal to have a nice place that welcomes students where they can see how they fit at the university. Overall, it means revenue back into Brownwood as a whole. It’s a good thing for everybody.”

"It will make a positive first impression, easily direct guests to the front door of the campus and be a comfortable space for visitors to learn about all that HPU has to offer students."

In addition to housing admissions offices, the Newbury Family Welcome Center’s main entryway will open into a hall featuring a display on the history of the university and how prospective students fit into the overarching story of HPU. The interior of the building is designed to flow from the entryway, facing Austin Avenue, to the green of Muse Plaza and Mall, looking toward Old Main Tower.

Central to the planning of the building is the inclusion of meeting areas for large university and community events as well as potential students and their families. Located off the central hallway, a large conference room will provide space for larger gatherings, while smaller rooms will allow for one-to-one meetings between admissions staff and visiting students. Specifically designed to meet all the functional needs related to university events, the center will have a prep kitchen, allowing catered meals to be prepared on site, and storage areas for equipment.

Dr. Martin said that the center’s design, focused on providing meeting spaces for guests and university personnel, will be a significant aid to recruiting efforts.

“Having a welcoming building, a place where visitors can go to start their visit, greatly helps us,” he said. “A huge benefit for us is the way the building is designed. Part of what we do when hosting visits is set up meetings for students to meet professors. The spaces that will be made available by this building are going to help make logistics a lot more efficient.”

PJ (Gray) Gramling ’81, director of admission, added that the center will stand in a position of prominence on the campus to help highlight the key features of HPU’s community.

“I think of the Newbury Family Welcome Center as the place that visiting students and guests will first recognize that the Howard Payne community is a family,” she said. “It will make a positive first impression, easily direct guests to the front door of the campus and be a comfortable space for visitors to learn about all that HPU has to offer students.”

Student Government Association President Reagan Coleman, a senior from Houston majoring in the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and social science with an emphasis in jurisprudence, said the center will help new students get to know the culture of HPU before they even have an opportunity to explore the campus.

“The welcome center will help make it easier to connect with the campus and understand HPU culture better than just walking around and taking tours,” she said. “Even though those are helpful to see our facilities, HPU is rooted in our people. By understanding and getting to know the HPU family, future students can fall more in love with our school more quickly than before.”

The facility features prominent, wide windows, providing soft, natural light and maintaining a sense of openness for visitors. Its architecture incorporates a modern design with the aesthetic of other campus buildings, serving to highlight many of the unique aspects of HPU’s campus facilities. Most notably, the center’s exterior styling will unite the striking red brick exterior of L.J. Mims Auditorium and grand stone of Walker Memorial Library, serving as a bridge between the two historic buildings.

The physical site is not the only example of the center’s built-in legacy. The Newbury family would likely be considered just as iconic to HPU as Old Main by many alumni and friends. Dr. Newbury and his wife, Brenda, had a major influence on the university, along with their three daughters: the late Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate ’92, Jana (Mrs. Kyle) Penney ’95, and Jeanie (Mrs. Ryan) McDaniel ’97.

During Dr. Newbury’s time at HPU, the university experienced growth in enrollment and added numerous facilities. He is fondly remembered among many HPU alumni as a leader who, together with his family, personally hosted students and friends of the university in his home and displayed a genuine care for individuals. Dr. Meinecke was a student while Dr. Newbury was president.

“There’s probably nobody better to name the welcome center after than Dr. Newbury, because he is such a welcoming person himself,” he said. “He was president here when I was a student. He is engaging and funny. You always feel like you belong when you are around him and that you matter. He truly believes that people are special.”

He remarked that conversations with people who are or have been connected to HPU speak to the impact of the Newburys.

“Now in the work that I do here, I’ll call somebody and we’ll start talking about their past experiences with the university. Often they’ll mention, ‘You used to have this president who was so engaging, funny and charismatic, but I can’t remember his name,’ and I’ll ask, ‘Are you talking about Dr. Newbury?’ Nine times out of ten, that’s him.”

Dr. Hines was also a student at HPU during Dr. Newbury’s presidency. In reflection, he remarked on the indelible connection between university and person that was formed as Dr. Newbury led the university.

“For many people, the names Dr. Newbury and HPU are closely linked,” he said. “When I think about the legacy of Dr. Newbury in my life, I recall how welcoming he was to me and my family when I was a student considering HPU – he visited us personally in the office of our church and learned the names of my parents. When I think about someone who embodies the idea of being hospitable, I think of Dr. Newbury.”

Dr. Martin expressed his gratitude for the planning and work that have made the Newbury Family Welcome Center project possible.

“So many individuals have worked on this, and this has been a longstanding vision for a lot of people,” he said. “To be able to break ground and get this going – it’s a great thing for our university.”

Though the project is well underway, there are still opportunities to provide financial support. The project has only been possible through years of support from alumni and friends. Dr. Hines emphasized the importance of these supporters in the construction of the new building.

“We are so very grateful for the donors who for decades have had a dream for the welcome center on the Howard Payne University campus and have given in support of that vision,” he said. “There are wonderful opportunities for people to step in and support this project as we continue construction and seek to do our utmost to introduce HPU to the community and to new families. If you are interested in honoring Dr. Newbury and his legacy, if you want to help support our recruitment of new students and want to support the transformational student experience we offer here, we’d love to talk to you about it.”

Photo #1: For nearly a century, HPU’s hallowed Old Main building, which was destroyed by fire in 1984, served as the focal point for new arrivals to campus. A portion of Old Main’s former site will be the location for the new welcome center.

Photo #2: Architects rendering of Newbury Family Welcome Center, courtesy Quorum Architects

Photo #3: Building plan for the Newbury Family Welcome Center, courtesy Quorum Architects

Photo #3: Members of the Newbury family gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony for the welcome center named in their honor. Pictured from left are Jeanie (Mrs. Ryan) McDaniel ’97, Jana (Mrs. Kyle) Penney ’95, Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate ’92 (now deceased), Dr. Don Newbury ’61 and Brenda Newbury.

The project at a glance

Completion date

• The Newbury Family Welcome Center is anticipated to open in spring 2022. 

Size

• The facility will cover more than 7,700 square feet. 

Key Features

• Interactive displays will highlight key aspects of HPU’s history, community and culture.  

• The building’s main hall will accommodate up to 200 guests, while a smaller meeting area will host 80 guests. 

• The admissions office section of the building will be fitted with 10 work spaces for admissions staff and an in-office conference room. The space will also have private meeting rooms for visits between admissions counselors and students and families.  

• The architecture will invoke the style of other buildings on campus. Columns will frame the building’s broad windows, while red brick and large stone blocks will form the exterior walls. 

• Native Texas plants will be used in landscaping around the building to accent the natural beauty of the Brownwood area and HPU’s campus. 

Project Support

• Numerous giving opportunities are still available. 

• For ways to support this initiative, please visit www.hputx.edu/give or contact the HPU Office of Institutional Advancement at 325-649-8006 or via e-mail at development@hputx.edu.  

Use the link below to view the digital version of the current Link, as well as past issues of the magazine.