Dr. Ray McGlothlin Jr Obituary News: In Loving Memory of Dr. Ray McGlothlin Jr , dies at 95
Dr. Ray McGlothlin Jr. (’49) was known to start songs at his alma institution to call Board of Trustees meetings to order instead of rapping a gavel to do so. He adored singing.
Not everyone who knew him was aware of his graduate degree in Greek, the oil company he started, the medical software company, the corporate and bank boards he sat on, or the medical software company. He loved to sing, though, and everyone knew that.
In fact, a number of the images of McGlothlin at ACU depict him leading singing, whether it be at Opening Assembly, Chapel, or Commencement. His passion for music permeated every aspect of his life, from his work as a businessman to his leadership in the church.
He was widely recognized as a generous supporter of ACU for his assistance in the building of the McGlothlin Campus Center and countless other initiatives, but his generosity went far beyond material gifts.
Dr. Gary McCaleb (’64), emeritus vice president of the university and former mayor of Abilene, observed, “He was just so generous.” He sang for hundreds, possibly thousands, of funerals and weddings with his wife Kay Dollar, together with Harold Lipford (’50) and Jeannette Scroggs (’49) Lipford, and he never said, “I’m too busy.
In his Abilene home, surrounded by his family, McGlothlin passed away on June 28, 2023. He was 95.
The president of ACU, Dr. Phil Schubert (’91), referred to him as “a renaissance man.”
He was exceptional in whatever he did, and Schubert said, “He devoted his life to that which counted most – serving Jesus, looking out for the underprivileged, and loving his friends and family well.
Since Dr. John C. Stevens (’38) presided over ACU in the 1960s and 1970s, Schubert is the institution’s first president who did not collaborate with McGlothlin while serving as a trustee. In addition to chairing two presidential search committees and serving on the board from 1964 to 1995, McGlothlin oversaw Abilene Christian’s transition from a college to a university.
Dr. Royce Money (’64), one of those presidents, presided over the university from 1991 until 2010.
He has a significant impact on ACU, according to Money. He has made numerous contributions to the greater good, including building facilities and providing friendships, coaching, and mentoring.
After earning a Greek bachelor’s degree from ACU in 1949, McGlothlin went on to receive a master’s degree in the same subject from The University of Texas at Austin in 1951. From 1951 until 1956, he directed the Church of Christ Bible Chair in that location.
His upbringing shaped his perspective on the world and led to his renaissance reputation.
Don’t let your major limit what you do, I’ve told folks countless times, McCaleb added, frequently using McGlothlin as an illustration. That never restricted what he did; he was active as a highly successful businessman and in a wide variety of other capacities.
Every person McGlothlin interacted with in either of those capacities spoke highly of his mentoring abilities. While McGlothlin was the board’s chair and later served as the college’s dean, Dr. Jack Griggs (’64) was a trustee.
Ray’s opinion was something that Griggs frequently sought out when he was unsure of what to do yet wanted to make the correct decision.
The oldest son of Evelyn and Ray McGlothlin Sr., McGlothlin was born on September 1, 1927, in Grand Prairie, Texas. He attended ACU after graduating from Abilene High School in 1944 and ran into Memphis, Tennessee, classmate Kay Dollar. They were members of the same a cappella chorus and got married on December 15, 1947.
While still serving as the Bible Chair’s director in Austin, McGlothlin transitioned into the oil industry, serving from 1954 to 1967 as vice president, then president and director of the McWood Corporation, and from 1955 to 1959 as vice president and director of Texas Calgary Company. With their two young children, Karyn and Nita, the couple left for Abilene. Danna and Caryl, two more, were born in Abilene. They all received ACU degrees.
He established E-Z Serve, Inc. in 1971; at first it was a motor fuels wholesaler, but it later changed its focus to selling gasoline. By the middle of the 1980s, it had more than 900 gasoline retail locations, mostly convenience stores, and was a pioneer in the development of pay-at-the-pump technology. According to Texas Business’ yearly report, E-Z Serve was among the top 10 largest private enterprises in the state by 1984. For $36.3 million, Harken Oil & Gas purchased the business in 1986.
The following year, McGlothlin established and oversaw SoftSearch Inc., a company that distributed DXplain, a medical diagnostic tool created by a professor at Harvard Medical School. With the acquisition of Dwight’s EnergyData, that business expanded under McGlothlin’s direction to once more enter the oil industry.
Over the course of seven decades, McGlothlin was involved with ACU in a variety of ways. McGlothlin built the McGlothlin Campus Center in 1968 as a way of paying tribute to his parents, together with his brothers Jack and Hal, their families, and Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Corbin.
He said of its launch, “The Christian atmosphere of Abilene Christian College has profoundly influenced our lives and we are pleased to help provide a center on the campus for students who are, after all, the very heart-throb of the college.”