F.M. "Doc" Churchill

Dr. F.M. "Doc" Churchill began at Abilene Christian in 1948 as an instructor of range science and wildlife biology and became head of the Department of Agriculture in 1950, a position he held for ten years.

Churchill was listed in Outstanding Educators of America in 1972, 1974 and 1975. In 1978 he was named a member of the Texas Education Agency Advisory Committee on conservation and environmental education, and in 1979 he was selected as ACU's Outstanding Faculty Member. In 1985 Churchill became the first Bray Cook Professor of Agriculture, and in 1986 he was honored as an outstanding professor in the College of Natural Art and Applied Sciences. He was twice recognized as the Outstanding Conservationist in Texas, and he received the Teacher Fellow Award from the National Association of College and Teachers of Agriculture in 1989.

After his retirement from teaching in 1989, Churchill was named professor emeritus and served as a student admissions counselor in university outreach. During his time at ACU, Churchill led outreach programs that involved the student Aggie Club and other student groups to conduct worship services, Bible classes and youth rallies at rural churches throughout the United States.

Churchill was selected as one of the first Grand Marshals in the annual Homecoming parade. Several years before his death in 2002, the Office of Admissions established an award in his name to be awarded to the admissions counselor who does the best job recruiting students from Churches of Christ, of which he was the first recipient. Churchill has been known as "ACU's greatest recruiter."