Dr. James E. Womack ’63 to Deliver Winter Commencement Address

EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell University’s Board of Trustees will confer degrees to over 130 students during the Winter Commencement ceremony, recognizing those who have successfully completed the requirements for a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The ceremony will take place on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the Morse Center at the corner of West 11th Avenue and Alder Street in Eugene. 

Prior to commencement, nursing students will take part in the tradition known as the “Blessing of the Hands.” This ceremony, scheduled for Friday, December 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Bushnell’s Ross Evans Chapel, symbolizes the compassionate care and dedication these future healthcare professionals will bring to their patients. Earlier that day, at 11:00 a.m. in Ross Evans Chapel, Bible, Theology, and Ministry students will participate in the “Bible, Theology, and Ministry Graduand Ceremony,” which celebrates their call to ministry and their commitment to lead with faith and purpose. From 2:00–3:00 p.m., the Counseling Department will host an induction ceremony for the counseling honor society, Chi Sigma Iota, followed by a graduation party at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate all graduates. 

These pre-commencement ceremonies embody Bushnell’s commitment to celebrating wisdom, faith, and service, leading up to the commencement address delivered by Dr. James E. Womack (pictured) ’63, president emeritus of Bushnell University. Dr. Womack led the university as president from 1986 to 2004 and was honored with the title of president emeritus upon his retirement. Before his tenure in Eugene, he served as director of development for the Tennyson Center for Children and Families in Denver, a treatment center and school for neglected and abused youth. 

Dr. Womack’s career also includes roles as a high school teacher and coach, minister of youth and education, and director of planned giving. In the early 1970s, he coached basketball at Bushnell while managing planned giving efforts. A proud alumnus of Bushnell University, he holds a master’s degree from Central Oklahoma State University and an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Phillips University. 

Womack and his wife, Sharron Kay, have continued their ministry as co-pastors, most recently serving at North Bend First Christian Church. Together, they have built a strong foundation of faith and family, with three sons, a daughter, two daughters-in-law, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren—a testament to the values they have dedicated their lives to. 

As Bushnell University prepares to celebrate the accomplishments of its graduating class, details for the commencement ceremony are as follows: Parking will be available permit-free in the main Bushnell lot next to the Morse Event Center, beginning at 4 p.m. City-metered parking is also available throughout the University district. Doors to the venue will open for guests at 5:20 p.m. The ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be live streamed online at www.live.bushnell.edu.