The John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching was awarded to William P. “Bill” Collins by Samford President Andrew Westmoreland during the opening convocation of the fall semester Aug. 26. Finalists for the award were nominated by members of the Class of 2014.
Westmoreland described Collins as a teacher who students instantly recognize as a great educator.
“Students frequently remark on his ability to encourage intellectual curiosity and to discuss Plato and Aristotle so naturally that one suspects he walked with them at the Academy in Athens,” Westmoreland said.
Collins, a Homewood resident, joined Samford’s Howard College of Arts & Sciences faculty in 1987.
Collins, who is also known for his quiet, thoughtful and humble demeanor, said the award is a great honor for which he is deeply appreciative.
He noted that when asked to name the highest of all callings, the 13th century philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas argued that “the life of teaching is most crucial because it brings people to God by awakening them to wonders, marvels and joys of His creation.”
“In a very small way, that is what my job has been my whole life,” said Collins, who earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Florida State University. He served as a Navy intelligence officer in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam years.
“Intellectual curiosity is not a vain activity. Rather it is a kind of an ongoing awakening,” Collins said. “Being at Samford and working to get that process underway has been a marvelous joy for me and I view this award as recognition of that fact.”
Share with others: