The Story Behind the Story: All About Westminster’s Comprehensive History Book by Dr. William E. Parrish

Although William E. Parrish, PhD, has lived through some of the most significant moments in U.S. history since his birth in 1931, the 93-year-old remains most captivated by Westminster College’s fascinating past.

Today, the professor emeritus of history and official Westminster historian is extremely proud that his lifelong work devoted to the College is now in its third edition. “My love for Westminster grew as the College changed, without losing its uniqueness,” he reflected recently from his home in Pennsylvania after seeing his new book in print.

Hot off the press, Westminster College, An Informal History: 1851-2021 is now available for purchase at the physical and online bookstore of America’s National Churchill Museum (ANCM).

Archives Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Dec. 10

To forever honor the impact of Parrish’s deep devotion to Westminster, the College archives located on the first floor of Reeves Library will be dedicated to Parrish’s name at 4 p.m. on Dec. 10. The public is cordially invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Copies of An Informal History will be available for purchase at the event.

Victoria Knight, Director of Library Services at Reeves Library, displays a few of the items that will be permanently housed in the archives room dedicated to Dr. William E. Parrish on Dec. 10. Knight points out that an early draft of An Informal History was named On Thy Hilltop Throne, which is a line from Westminster’s Alma Mater.

About the Third Edition of An Informal History

The third edition of Parrish’s book picks up where the second edition, published in 2000, left off, not long after democratically elected President Lech Walesa of Poland delivered the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture on campus in 1998. At that time, the industrious Sally Reynolds, placement director, retired after 30 years, leaving behind a legacy of commitment to student success which continues to this day.

For those most familiar with the College ― virtually all alumni, who are intimately familiar with the names and events and buildings on campus ― the third edition of An Informal History will transport readers back to the furious preparations for Y2K, the difficult Mesa campus years, and much more.

Ultimately, those who immerse themselves in the 497-page book will come away with a deep sense of nostalgia and pride in what Charles Fackler “Dog” Lamkin described in 1946 as “a great small college” in his unofficial history book by the same name.

Blue Jays aficionados who pick up a copy will encounter three particular names associated with the third edition: Margot Ford McMillen, Dr. Carolyn Perry Hunt, and Dr. Robert A. Seelinger, in the years before his tragic cancer diagnosis, each assisted Parrish with the new chapters of the book.

Readers will also encounter the following familiar names and events, among much more:

• Dr. Fletcher “Fletch” Lamkin
• Dr. George B. “Barney” Forsythe
• Dr. Carolyn Perry Hunt’s Acting Presidency
• Dr. Tammy Stiller
• “Mr. Westminster,” Pat Kirby
• The Kent and Judith Mueller Leadership Center
• Dr. Robert Seelinger and his involvement with the Mesa campus
• Professor Wayne Zade
• Dr. Michael Amspoker
• The total eclipse of 2017
• Matt Mitchell’s management of athletics schedules during COVID-19

Parrish personally knew many of the countless names and faces found throughout all three editions of his book, the first of which was printed in 1971 and cost exactly $7.75, including shipping. And although much has changed at Westminster, including the price of Parrish’s book (the current edition can be purchased for $34.95), much, for the historian, remains the same.

“My greatest joy was working with students beyond the classroom walls,” Parrish reminisced in November, adding, “I kept writing simply because new presidents asked me to, and because of my fondness for the College.”

About Westminster’s Most Devoted Historian

William E. Parrish, PhD, was born in Garden City, Kansas, on April 7, 1931. He received his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University before going on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Missouri. Then, at the age of 24, he became the youngest person at the time to receive a PhD from the University of Missouri.

In 1955, Parrish joined the faculty of Westminster College. He then served as chair of the Department of History for a number of years and was dean of the College from 1973 to 1975.

In 1978, after joining the faculty of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Parrish’s enthusiasm for Westminster endured. The devoted professor emeritus continued to act as Westminster’s historian ― a role he took on in 1965 ― after retiring from Mississippi State in 1996.

When Dr. William E. Parrish promoted the first edition of An Informal History in 1971, the book cost $7.75, including shipping.

In his lifetime, Parrish has written four other books: Frank Blair: Lincoln’s Conservative; The History of Phi Gamma Delta, 1925-1996; A History of Missouri, 1860-1875; and Missouri: The Heart of the Nation with Charles T. Jones, Jr., and Lawrence Christensen.

He was inducted into the prestigious Association of Churchill Fellows of America’s National Churchill Museum in 2019.

Today, Parrish lives in York, Pennsylvania, with his wife, HelenSue, of 52 years.