Pittman Hall

Last night I had the privilege of joining my mother and other members of our family at the annual Honoree Dinner at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (formerly Northwestern College), in Roseville, MN. We were there because the university has recently seen fit to honor my father by naming two residence halls after him: Pittman Hall North and Pittman Hall South.

At the dinner, they presented my mom with a framed copy of the plaque that now hangs in the entry of each of the buildings.

Here’s what it says:

Dr. Samuel “Sam” Pittman served as chair of the Bible and Missions Department from 1973 to 1991 and as professor of cross-cultural ministries until his retirement in 1998. He came to Northwestern after 17 years of missionary service in Pakistan with his wife Grace, and their two daughters, Janet and Joann. Pittman was a godly, humble man who loved Christ supremely, loved his students, and was always available to them. The Pittmans regularly opened their home to students and served as mentors for many students who went on to serve Christ at home and abroad. Pittman was known for his wonderful sense of humor; he was never guilty of taking himself too seriously, but he did take his teaching very seriously. He holds a place in Northwestern’s history books as never missing a class due to illness in his 25-year teaching career. Pittman always challenged his students to think for themselves, and to do things with their lives that would make a difference.

Even though my dad would just roll his eyes and say “that’s silly,” we are grateful to the university (which he loved dearly) for bestowing this honor on him.

Related Posts:

A Tribute to My Father — 2014

Pinch and a Punch

Happy Birthday, Dad

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